Professor Layton and the Mishaps of Mystery
by Charlie Big Nose
Summary: 6 months after Luke moves away from London to Ireland, he starts receiving threatening letters from an unknown source who wants to know of the whereabouts of one Emmeline Altava. Contains strong language, violence, Azran Legacy spoilers and EmmyxxLayton. complete and currently editing for typos.
1. Prologue - The Sitdown

Prologue – the Sit-Down

"So you would like me to explain why I have done this?" asked Vaughan coldly.

As he said this, Emmy gripped the professor's hand tighter. She knew what was coming.

"Well, yeah, why else would we be here?" Tony snorted. Carla gave him a quick nudge and he fell silent once more.

"Yes," said Bronev, in a tone which was equally as cold as Vaughan's. "If you could explain why you have been attacking this town and causing upset and disruption to so many innocent people, then that would be most wonderful."

Vinnie snickered, earning a kick from Carla. Carla then looked over in Emmy's direction. Emmy was as white as a sheet. Their eyes met briefly. "Are you okay?" Carla mouthed to Emmy. Emmy shook her head slightly. The professor sensed this and gave her hand a quick squeeze of reassurance. "Don't worry, my dear," he whispered. "I won't let him hurt you."

Vaughan glanced in Emmy's direction. He then turned to stare at her. Emmy blushed. Bronev reached under the table and took Emmy's other hand.

"Well, come on, we haven't got all week," he spat. "Tell us! Why!"

Vaughan smiled. "It's a long story."

"Give us the shortened version. Quickly."

"Alright." Vaughan cleared his throat. "It all began sixteen years ago..."

Vaughan is right. There is an incredibly long story to this whole situation. But this is not the place to start. Let's go back, say, two and a half months, to when the resistance started up.1

1 The resistance is an organisation set up by Bronev on behalf of the government to stop Vaughan.


	2. Getting Reacquainted

Chapter 1– Getting Reacquainted

"Professor, a letter just arrived for you. I think it's from abroad. I don't recognise this stamp as being British, you know."

"Thank you, Flora." The professor rubbed his eyes, which were strained from all the papers he had been marking. He took the envelope from Flora and opened it. As he scanned through it, a look of shock grew on his face.

"Professor?" Flora asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Turn on the television, Flora. To the news channel, please."

"Yes, Professor." She turned it on.

"_Several lives of the young girls of St. Mary's High School in Midleton, Co. Cork Ireland have been threatened when an attack was launched on the school. A man in a mask had been seen entering the building at approximately ten thirty this morning. That same man threatened a class of fifteen year old Art students, threatening to open fire if the building wasn't vacated immediately. The building was evacuated and police were called to the scene. We now go live to our special correspondent, Roohit Kachroo."_

"_Thank you. We are now here at the scene of the crime. The man still hasn't left the building. Police are giving him five minutes before they enter themselves. They – FUCK!"_

The professor and Flora gasped in horror as they watched the building explode before their very eyes on the TV screen. News reporters and police scrambled around in panic at the commotion that went on around them.

"Professor..." Flora was speechless.

"Luke sent this letter. And he said that this would happen." Layton frowned as Flora gasped audibly.

"But...but... how did he know?"

"He says he has been threatened recently, because he knows... well... a certain young lady."

"Who?"

"Her name is Emmy Altava. She used to accompany us on our adventures. She left shortly before we met you, Flora."

"But what does that have to do with Luke knowing about the explosion before it even happened?"

"He was told of it in a letter he received that threatened him and his family. He has apparently been receiving many letters of this kind. They tell him of something that will apparently happen, threaten him if he informs the police and states that the letters will not stop coming until Emmy shows her face again."

"Poor Luke." Flora looked terribly upset. "Why is this person doing this? Luke is a nice boy, he doesn't deserve this. It must be killing him not being able to tell the police about all the stuff that's been happening."

Layton nodded in agreement.

"And what about all the stuff that could happen? If Luke doesn't tell the police, lives could be put in danger again, but if he does, his life will be in danger. Professor, we have to do something!" Flora looked close to tears.

"Agreed," said the professor. He paused, weighing up his options. But before he could think any more about it, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," the professor called.

The door opened and Dean Delmona entered the office.

"Ah, Hershel, my boy, is this a convenient time?" he asked, stepping into the office.

"But of course," Layton said. "Do sit down." He gestured to the sofa.

"Oh, no Hershel, I'm not stopping. I just came to inform you of the return of a very good friend of ours."

"Oh really? Who might that be?"

"Your beloved assistant, Emmy Altava."

The professor and Flora froze at this. "WH - what?!" Layton choked out.

Dean Delmona frowned. "Emmy's back. She arrived from Canada this morning. She's come back to work. Is that a problem for you Hershel?"

"Well, no, of-of course not," the professor stammered. His face began to grow hot.

"She's in the lobby waiting for you. Why not go and see her?"

"It's okay, I'm here," an all-too-familiar voice called from outside the door.

"Wonderful," the dean said with a smile. "I'll leave you to it." And with that, he walked out of the door.

Emmy stepped in, smiling. But her smile faded when she saw the way Flora was looking at her.

"Um… are you okay miss?" Emmy asked nervously. She obviously thought Flora was just a visitor and was waiting for her to go before speaking to the professor.

Flora scowled. "Who are you and why has Luke been receiving threatening letters?"

"Flora, please, allow me," Layton said. Flora fell silent.

A look of shock spread across Emmy's face. "What?!" she exclaimed. "Luke… threatening letters… who the hell are you?!"

"Emmy, please—"Layton began, but Flora cut across him again.

"Never mind that! What have you gotten Luke involved in?"

"I haven't spoken to him for eighteen months! Where is he? Why isn't he here defending himself?"

"He moved to Ireland six months ago," the professor stated, finally able to get a word in edgeways. "Clark got transferred and he took Luke and Brenda with him."

"Oh," Emmy said, looking disappointed. "I was really looking forward to seeing him. I've missed him so much." She looked sad.

There was silence. Flora was still glaring at Emmy. Layton noticed this and cleared his throat.

"Um… Emmy, this is Flora. She is my adopted daughter."

"Oh, really? Hi Flora, I'm Emmy, Emmy Altava!" Emmy said enthusiastically, holding out her hand. Flora ignored it and scowled.

"Er… Emmy, could you give us a moment?" Layton asked, giving Flora a funny look.

"Of course." She stepped outside the door.

Flora frowned as she looked at the professor. "Who the hell does she think she is?" she asked angrily.

"Flora, I really think you're over reacting. I don't even think Emmy knew about the letter until you mentioned it. Will you please lay off her?"

"Professor." Emmy poked her head in the door. She looked anxious. "Someone here to see you." As this person entered the room, Layton gasped. Emmy gulped as the man addressed the professor.

"Good afternoon, Professor Layton," said Bronev with a smile. "It's very good to see you again. I never thought we would cross paths again, but here we are."

Layton said nothing. He just stared.

"I'm here with a request for you, Layton. It's about that little commotion," he said calmly, pointing at the television where the explosion in Ireland had just happened.

"What about it?" Flora asked curiously.

"I think that the man who is responsible for this incident is also responsible for a series of other atrocities, ones against our government. He's been accessing secret information in government archives, information that is "classified". The government knew that I am good at forming stealth operations as well as getting what I want, so they made a deal with me. They let me out of prison in return for catching this criminal. I have been working at this for the last few weeks."

"And did your investigation bear any fruit?" the professor asked.

"Not really," Bronev admitted sheepishly. "I have a name and a face, but that's it. And I don't even know if the name is just an alias or not. I can't find any record of him in the government archives. No previous addresses, bank statements, phone records, nothing. It's like he just doesn't exist. The possibility of the name being an alias is very likely, but we can't rule out the possibility of him deleting all of his history, as he had a lot of access to government files."

"But if all this info is classified, how did he get access?" Flora asked. She was always interested in mysteries of this kind. It was like the crime and mystery novels she read.

"We're not entirely sure," Bronev replied, "but we think he has a mole on the inside, who gave him passwords and the like. The passwords are so complex that it would take a computer genius to crack it. It is probable that he has connections on the inside."

"Hang on," Emmy said, frowning. "We?"

"Yes, we," Bronev said.

"So how come I'm not involved in this?" she asked with a frown.

Bronev smirked. "I didn't want to spoil your fun in California with Vinnie."

Emmy blushed scarlet.

"So your request is that I help you to find this man?" Layton asked.

"Exactly," Bronev said, "but only if you are willing."

Layton paused in thought. "Do you want to do this?" Layton asked Flora.

"Well..." Flora said slowly, looking at Emmy with a frown.

"If the person who is giving the government trouble is the same person who blew up that school, so that means he is the same person who is threatening Luke, right?" Emmy asked.

"Very observant of you Emmy," Layton smiled. "You haven't lost you touch."

Emmy beamed at him.

"Then I'm definitely in!" Flora exclaimed. "Luke is relying on us – all of us – to get this guy and put him out of danger!"

"Right you are," Emmy agreed, giving Flora a smile, which she ignored.

"Threatening Luke?" muttered Bronev.

"He has been sending Luke threatening letters for the past six weeks, threatening him and his family. He has also been revealing his plots, but threatens to kill him if he tells the police."

"And it said that the letters wouldn't stop coming until Emmy showed her face, right Professor?" Flora said, glaring at Emmy.

Bronev and Emmy both froze.

"What!" Emmy exclaimed.

"See?" the professor whispered to Flora.

"Let me see that letter!" Bronev demanded. Layton handed it towards him and Bronev snatched it out of his hands angrily. Bronev scanned through it with Emmy reading it over his shoulder.

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_It's been a while since we said goodbye. How have you been? I'm all settled in and making new friends here._

_I am writing to you because something deeply puzzling has been happening here recently. My family has been receiving letters. Strange letters. They entail plots to harm and scare people and threaten our lives if we report them to the police. They also say that they won't stop until they see Emmy again. The letters are signed anonymous. I don't know who they are or what they want with Emmy. And the worst thing is that the plots are carried out days after we receive the letters. The most recent letter said that St. Mary's High School would blow up on the 24th of February at 11am. We desperately need your help before anyone gets seriously hurt. This seems like a puzzle that is tailor-made for Professor Layton and his apprentice. I don't think anyone else could get to the bottom of this._

_I can't wait to start this new adventure with you! Please write back soon!_

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke._

"Oh, my," Emmy said, looking very upset. "Poor Luke. He must be terrified."

"People's lives are being threatened by this man," Bronev said firmly. "We must plan our course of action and set out to Cork post-haste."

"Everyone pack a bag and we'll meet at the aerodrome and seven o'clock tomorrow morning." Emmy said.

"Why?" Flora asked. "Why the aerodrome?"

Emmy smiled. "We're flying."


	3. The Journey Begins

Chapter 2 – The Journey Begins.

The professor awoke at half past six to find Flora at his bedside with tea and toast.

"Good morning Professor! I thought I'd make you something easier today. Now isn't the best time for you to get food poisoning. Not even I can screw up toast."

"Thank you, my dear." Layton appreciated Flora's consideration for his health and the current situation. "Have you eaten already?"

"Eaten, showered, packed, and ready to go!" Flora said enthusiastically.

"Good girl."

"Did you tell Dean Delmona that we're going?" Flora asked.

"Yes, my dear, just before we left the university yesterday."

"What about school?" Flora asked. "Won't they think it's weird that I'm not there and you don't answer when they call home?"

"Ah," Layton said softly. He hadn't thought of that. "I'll give them a call later on. Remind me, will you?"

"Yes Professor."

"Good girl."

"I'll leave you to eat your breakfast and get ready," Flora said brightly. "I'll be in the living room."

"Alright, my dear." Flora left the room Layton smiled and took a bite out of his toast.

* * *

Flora sat on the sofa, deep in thought. She felt guilty for the way she had treated Emmy. She shouldn't have assumed that Emmy was behind it all. She could see now that Emmy cared deeply for Luke. "I'll apologise when I see her," Flora thought to herself. "I hope she doesn't hate me. I don't hate her... anymore." She suddenly heard the professor coming down the stairs.

"Are you ready, Flora?" he called.

"Yes, Professor."

"Come now, let's go."

* * *

Bronev knocked on the door of Emmy's room. "Are you up yet, my dear?" he asked gently. No reply. He opened the door to see Emmy curled up in a warm ball under her covers, still asleep. He smiled to himself and sat on the bed beside Emmy. He leaned over and pinched her nose shut. Unable to breathe, she choked and gagged.

"Leon!" she cried furiously.

"Morning, my dear," he said with a grin. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah," Emmy replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Good." He paused as he ran his fingers over the scabs on her arm. "Are you still in pain?"

"No," Emmy replied, "just itchy."

"Okay. You go for a shower, and don't forget to put on that ointment. Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."

Emmy smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Leon. Thank you so much." She leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek. Bronev smiled and held her there.

"You're a good girl, Emmeline. Such a good girl. Such a brave girl." He kissed her back and stood up. "I know I've been horrible to you in the past, but despite what I say, I will always love you." He stroked her hair and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. He then left the room.

Emmy laid back down, hugging herself and smiling. "I love you too, Uncle Leon," she thought to herself. "I love you so much."

* * *

Bronev entered the kitchen and began to cook bacon for Emmy. He then spotted her bag on the floor. He lowered the heat on the hob and picked it up, placing it on the table. He unzipped it and looked through it. There was nothing but clothes in the bag. He frowned. Just at that moment, Emmy entered.

"Uncle Leon, do you know where I put my ointme—" Emmy stopped and stared at Bronev, puzzled. "Why are you looking through my bag?"

"Where are your pills?" he asked sharply. "You are still taking them, like I told you to, aren't you?"

Emmy reached into the chest pocket of her nightshirt. She pulled out the pills and handed them to Bronev. He opened the box and counted the pills. Everything was in order there. Bronev smiled.

"Good girl," he said, and smiled.

Emmy walked over to the hob and tended to the bacon. Bronev stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You know, Emmeline," he said, "I spoke to Doctor Folley, and she said it's alright if we start to lower your dose again."

Emmy turned towards him and beamed. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "One catch, though."

"What's that, then?" Emmy asked, turning over the bacon in the pan to let the other side cook.

"She wants to come with us to Ireland and stay with us so she can monitor your progress."

Emmy froze. "But... but the professor..." she trailed off.

"Don't worry," he said soothingly, holding her tighter, "he won't find out. No one will." He kissed her neck and let go of her. "Let me do that," he said, "you go for your shower." He opened the cupboard above their heads and took out Emmy's ointment and handed it to her. Emmy smiled and left.

Bronev rooted around the drawer to his right and pulled out a gun. He then pulled out bullets and loaded the gun. He placed it in a gun rest in his jacket. "We will get him," he thought. "He will pay for what he's done to my little girl."

* * *

"Why aren't they here?" Flora asked anxiously. "They said seven. It's quarter past now."

"I'm not sure," the professor replied. "Perhaps Emmy overslept." He smiled, remembering how Emmy used to sleep in the odd time.

Flora sighed. "I hope they're here soon."

"They will be," Layton said, pointing into the crowd. Bronev and Emmy were both approaching them. Emmy smiled as she reached the professor.

"Hi, Professor! Hi Flora! Sorry we're late, traffic. Are you both ready to go?"

"Yes, we are," Layton said. "Are we using your plane to get there, Emmy?"

"Your plane?" Flora asked. She looked confused.

"Er..." Emmy looked at Bronev.

"Yes," Bronev replied. "We'll use the four seater."

"Are you flying or will I?"

"You can," Bronev answered, leaning towards her. "I think you need to get your confidence back," Bronev whispered in Emmy's ear, "or he'll get suspicious." He glanced at the professor and winked at Emmy.

"Er... alright then," Layton said, unsure of what just happened. "Lead the way."

"Just one moment," Bronev said. "I'd like to have a quick word with you before we set off. Excuse us, ladies," he said, beckoning Layton to follow. Layton looked at Emmy and she shrugged. Bronev left and Layton followed.

There was awkwardness between the two girls.

"Uh..." Flora didn't know what to say.

"So... how are you?" Emmy asked, attempting to make conversation and hoping that another argument wouldn't break out.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good. You?"

"I'm okay," Emmy replied. "Bit tired, but that's just my morning brain."

Flora laughed at this. Emmy laughed too.

"I... um..." Flora began, hesitating and turning a bit pink, "I'm sorry. For what I said yesterday. That was so rude."

"That's alright," Emmy smiled. "You're just worried about Luke. I'd probably react in the same way if I found out that Luke was in trouble over a strange woman in a yellow Hi-De-Hi jacket that I'd never seen before."

Flora and Emmy laughed again. They smiled at each other. Emmy held out her hand.

"Friends?" she asked.

This time Flora took it. "Friends," she replied, shaking Emmy's hand.

* * *

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Layton asked.

"I'm worried about Emmeline," Bronev replied. "I think she knows Vaughan."

"What do you mean?" Layton asked. He felt a chill run down his spine.

Bronev hesitated. "She doesn't want me to tell you this, so if she finds out that you know; tell her that someone called Vinnie told you, alright?"

"Er... alright," Layton agreed, slightly confused. "So how does she know this person?"

"He... he did some... things to her, when she was...was little. She... she's terrified of him. But... but I don't think she knows it's him yet. When she finds out that it is... well, who knows how she'll react?"

"And you're sure it's him?" Layton asked nervously. He didn't like the idea of Emmy getting hurt.

"I have a suspicion; call it an intuition, which needs to be confirmed. Tell me, do you know anyone who's good with computers?" Bronev asked suddenly.

"What? Well, I think Flora knows a thing or two. I can ask her for you, if you like."

"Thank you. And Layton..."

"Yes?"

"I... I am sorry... about what happened last time we met," Bronev said. He looked sad.

Layton smiled. "Forgiven and forgotten," he said.

"Good. I hope what happened won't bring any bad blood between us, or the boy." He was referring to Luke.

"Of course not."

"Good. One last thing, Layton. While we're in this situation, Vaughan will be looking for people to get to us through, so I'd advise you to keep a close eye on that little girl of yours, just in case."

"Er... right you are," Layton said nervously. He didn't like the sound of this.

"Right," Bronev said, checking his watch. "If we head off now, we should get there for about ten o'clock. Shall we?"

"Yes," Layton replied, and the two set off back towards the girls.

* * *

"Is everything alright?" Emmy asked as Layton and Bronev returned.

"Fine," Bronev replied. "Let's go. Follow me everyone."

The four of them set of towards Emmy's four seater airplane with Bronev leading the way and Emmy at his heals.

"What was that about?" Emmy whispered to Bronev.

"Never you mind," Bronev replied. "You're alright to fly, you are?"

Emmy nodded.

"Good."

They got to the plane. Bronev unlocked it and Emmy got into the pilot's seat. She buckled herself up and put on her helmet. Bronev opened the back door and gestured for the professor and Flora to get in. They did so, and Bronev piled all of their bags into the storage compartment at the back. He then got in and did up his seatbelt. Emmy started up the ignition and drove the plane to the runway.

There was a man on the runway dressed in high visibility clothing and holding two red batons.

"Runway's clear!" he shouted. Emmy waved her arm in thanks.

"We are now ready for take-off," Emmy said in a voice that sounded familiarly like an air hostess. "Please fasten your seatbelts."

Flora and the professor laughed at this, and Bronev smiled at Emmy, which she returned. She drove down the runway and took off.

* * *

No one said much during the flight. Emmy was busy concentrating on her flying and the others were too busy admiring the view below.

"Wow," Flora said, awestruck. "Everything looks so small from up here! I wish I had a camera."

"I have one!" Emmy exclaimed. "It's right here. Give it to her, Leon, would you?"

Bronev passed Emmy's camera back to Flora. Flora immediately began to take shots of down below.

"Don't drop it," Emmy warned. "I did that before."

"And it's still in one piece?" Layton asked, astounded.

Bronev chuckled. "Emmeline went to look for it after she dropped it, and it turns out that it landed in some poor old dear's basket of washing. It was only when we knocked on her door that she was able to return it to us."

The four of them laughed.

"Don't worry, Emmy," Flora said, "I'll be careful."

"Good girl," Emmy said, and she smiled.

After Flora had finished, she passed the camera back and asked, "So, you like photography, Emmy?"

Emmy smiled fondly. "Yeah," she said, "Ever since I was little."

Bronev smiled too. "Yes, Emmeline has always been a shutterbug, ever since the day I met her. She was delighted when I bought her that camera."

Layton listened intently. He had never heard anything about Emmy's past, or her childhood and he wanted to know as much as possible.

"How old were you when you got that camera, Emmy?" the professor asked.

"Twelve. Uncle Leon got it for me for my birthday."

"Yes. I saw how reluctant you used to be giving mine back after you used to borrow it, and you were always such a good girl." Bronev reached over and stroked Emmy's arm. Emmy beamed at him.

Layton smiled. "Did you have any other hobbies as a child?"

"I did gymnastics and martial arts. And athletics. And running."

"You like to keep active?"

"Yes, Professor. How do you think I was able to beat up so many people on our adventures?" Emmy teased.

"Ha. I suppose so."

"You also did "fight club"," Bronev reminded her.

"Fight club?" Flora asked.

Emmy grinned mischievously. "Whenever anyone at school got into an argument, they'd go to the fight club, and whoever could stay standing for the longest was the winner."

"And Emmeline was always the one fighting," Bronev teased.

"And Emmeline was always the one winning," Emmy laughed. "Three hundred straight wins, wasn't it?"

"Really?" Flora asked incredulously. "Gosh, you must be tough."

Bronev grinned. "Well, she had more than one trick up her collective sleeve."

"Yeah," Emmy laughed. "If they're bigger than you, consider them fat and just keep running until they fall over. Then, you kick them in the ribs, step on their neck—"

"Emmy, please!" Layton cried as Flora and Bronev doubled over with laughter.

"Oh, we're nearly there!" Emmy interrupted. They could see a large city in the distance, which was rapidly getting closer.

"Hold on tight and fasten your seatbelts. I'm not too good at this part, so hang on tight and prepare for a bumpy ride," Emmy said, and the plane entered a descent. They went lower and lower towards the airport. "Hopefully they'll let me park here for a while," Emmy said.

They were nearly at the ground. Layton closed his eyes, preparing for a bump, but to his surprise, the plane landed gracefully on the runway.

"I thought you said you weren't good at this?" Layton asked.

Emmy grinned. "I've got to keep you on your toes, haven't I?"

Layton smiled back. "I suppose so."

They were suddenly interrupted by a man yelling at them from the ground. "What da fuck're ye playing at?" he roared in a strong Cork accent.

Emmy snickered. "I'd better sort this one out. Unload the bags, will you?"

They got off the plane. Bronev got their bags out while Emmy made for the screaming Cork man.

"Excuse me sir—" Emmy began.

"What da fuck!" he yelled.

"Please, sir, can you refrain from using obscenities in front of our young lady?" Emmy asked sternly.

"What're ye parked here for?" he demanded.

"My name is Emmy Altava. My acquaintances and I are here to investigate the explosion that happened in a high school in Midleton yesterday. We are here on behalf of the government to catch the man responsible for this. Could I please leave my plane here, where it will be safe?"

The man paused. "Uh... I'll ask my supervisor."

"Thank you."

"Wait here. I'll be back." He ran off.

The other three approached Emmy. "What did he say?" Flora asked.

"He said he'll ask his supervisor," Emmy said.

The man returned with haste, along with his supervisor.

"Hello," said the supervisor, holding out his hand to Emmy, "my name is Jerry Fitzgerald."

"Hello, sir," Emmy said, shaking his hand.

"Johnny here says you're here investigating?"

"Yes, that's right," the professor said.

"Well then by all means, there is room here for your plane. If you could move off of the runway and into our storage area—"

"Thank you," Bronev cut in.

"Right," Jerry said. "Johnny, you show them where to go."

"Right ye are," Johnny replied.

"I'll move it," Bronev said. "I have to meet someone here anyway. You three head off. Emmy, go to Anne, she'll probably know where the boy is. She'll help you find him. I'll meet you at the school."

"Okay then," Emmy said brightly. She took her keys out of her pocket and handed them to Bronev. "See you later," she said.

Bronev left with Johnny.

"C'mon," Emmy said to the professor. "We'll have to get a taxi to the school."

"Alright," Layton said, and the three of them set off.

* * *

"So, why the school?" Flora asked.

"To see Luke and get a witness statement while everything is still fresh in his mind," Emmy replied. The three of them were in a taxi and on their way to a school nearby to the one that exploded the previous day.

"How do you know if we're going to the right school?" Flora wondered. "I mean, there's bound to be more than one school in the area. There could be three or four."

"Well, even if we're at the wrong school, Anne can always phone around until we do find the right one," Emmy replied.

"Oh. Okay," Flora said.

"So, who exactly is this Anne, anyhow?" the professor asked.

"She's a teacher. She works at the C.C." Emmy explained. "If anyone can find a schoolboy, she can."

"And how do you know this person?" Layton asked.

"I lived over here for about eighteen months with Uncle Leon while he was searching for Azran relics," Emmy said. "I don't know much about that situation. We stayed for a year and a half, and we still didn't find anything, so Leon decided we should go home. I went to school at the C.C., because I was only thirteen at the time, and she was my English teacher. She was the one who actually taught me to speak English properly."

"What do you mean?" Layton asked, confused. "I thought you were from London?"

"No," Emmy replied. "I moved from the Czech Republic when I was ten. I had a lot of trouble picking up English. When I moved over here, I only had basic English, so she helped me to improve it."

"Oh," Layton said, surprised. "I had no idea that you were foreign, Emmy."

The taxi stopped at a queue of traffic. Emmy looked out the window and sighed.

"It's okay, we can walk from here," Emmy said to the driver. "You turn around while you still can."

"Thanks, love. That'll be twenty five, fifty three when you're ready."

"Did you bring Irish money, Emmy?" Layton asked.

"Yep, got it converted on my way home yesterday," Emmy replied, handing the driver a fifty euro note. "Keep the change."

"God bless you. See you love!"

The trio said goodbye to the taxi driver, grabbed their bags and hurried out of the taxi. They began to make their way up the road and past some houses.

"How far is it?" Flora asked.

"Not too far," Emmy replied. "Fifty yards at most."

They watched the traffic as they walked. Emmy frowned.

"Is something wrong, Emmy?" the professor asked.

"Yeah," Emmy said, "the roads are usually very quiet at this time. It's twelve o'clock, right?"

"Yeah," Flora said, checking her phone.

"Well, it's not the four o'clock rush, so I don't know why there would be such heavy traffic..." Emmy trailed off.

She stopped suddenly, causing Flora to bump into her.

"...unless something has happened."


	4. Distress

Chapter 3 – Distress

Emmy tore up the road as fast as she could, which was quite fast. Layton and Flora ran up the road as quickly as they, could, but they couldn't keep up with Emmy. They saw traffic cops trying in vain to divert traffic.

"Come, Flora, let's see if they know what the matter is," Layton said firmly. The two of them made their way over to the officers.

"Excuse me, officer!" Layton called. "Excuse me!"

They reached a couple of police men. One turned to face them.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. We were wondering what all the commotion is about."

One of the officers sighed gravely. "It's more than a commotion, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" Flora asked.

"There's been a murder up there."

Layton and Flora froze.

"Come, Flora," the professor said. "We have to get over there."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that," the officer said. "There are police on the scene. There's nothing you can do."

"I think there is. We were sent by the government to investigate the explosion that happened yesterday, and I have a strong suspicion that these two events are linked."

"Really?" Flora asked incredulously.

"Sent by the government?" the officer asked. "You'd better go." He moved aside.

"Thank you."

Layton ran up the road, with Flora in hot pursuit.

"Do you think Emmy is already there?" Flora asked in between breaths. She hadn't done this much running in a while.

"I expect so, yes," Layton said, also out of breath. "Look, the school is just up ahead."

And sure enough, the school came into Flora's sight just as the professor pointed this out. The two ran as fast as they could to the building. When they arrived, Layton halted. Flora luckily avoided crashing into him.

"What's up, professor?"

Layton pointed. Flora gasped.

A coroner's van was just pulling out of the school gates. A large number of students and teachers were gathered around. There were masses of police and news reporters there too. Flora looked closer at the students and saw that a number of them were crying. "Oh, God," she thought. Was it a teacher or a student?" she did not get to ponder this for long, however, as the professor was gone. She jumped, realising this and looked around. She saw him talking to one of the officers, trying to get information. His effort looked fruitless. She decided to take action and ask one of the teachers if they knew anything. She walked up to a blonde haired woman in a white blouse.

"Excuse me –" Flora began.

"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" the woman barked suddenly. "Come with me immediately!"

"What? No! I –" Flora tried, but the woman grabbed her and dragged her inside the school.

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir, but that information is classified. I can't tell you anything unless you are an officer of the law or a relative to the deceased."

"But I am here investigating –" Layton began.

"On behalf of the government, I know, but without a warrant, I can't tell you anything. Try asking around. I'm sure the gossip will tell you all you need to know."

"Alright, thank you for your time." Layton walked away. He looked back at the gate and realised that Flora was not where he left her.

"Oh dear," he said. "This is all I need. Flora? FLORA!"

* * *

The strange woman dragged Flora inside and into an office. Flora was confused. "Why the hell is she keeping me here?" she thought to herself. "I don't go to school here. She doesn't even freaking know me!"

"Stay there," the woman ordered. "This is all we need. First a huge commotion outside, now you causing trouble!"

"Excuse me, ma'am," Flora said, "but why are you keeping me here?"

"You aren't wearing your uniform, and we have a strict uniform policy here, you should know that since you first started here. What is your name?"

"But I don't go to school here!" Flora exclaimed, frustrated that the woman wouldn't listen to her. "I came here with Professor Layton to investigate the explosion in St Mary's High School! He's just outside! Ask him if you don't believe me!"

"What is your name?!" the woman demanded. "I'll check my records."

"Fine!" Flora snapped irritably. "You won't find me there!"

"Name!" the woman demanded.

"Flora Reinhold Layton."

"Year?"

"Year eight."

The woman frowned. "What?"

"Year eight," Flora repeated.

"There is no year eight over here. In England, maybe, but not over here."

"Yeah, that's where I'm from," Flora explained. "I came with the professor."

The woman continued to frown. Then a look of realisation dawned on her face.

"Oh! Oh dear! My apologies! You may leave."

Flora smiled, relieved that the stupid Irish woman finally got the message.

"Oh, but before I go, may I ask you a few questions about the events that happened outside?"

The woman frowned yet again. "I could ask you the same thing. I went outside to see what all the noise was about, then I saw you without a uniform, so I took you inside for a uniform. Why, has something happened?"

"Oh," Flora said, feeling awkward. She had not expected to be the one explaining the situation. She was the one who wanted the answers. "Uh..."

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Come in," the woman called.

The door opened and a man who appeared to be in his early fifties and dressed in a suit entered. He had a very grave expression on his face with a little shock and confusion thrown in.

"Are you alright, Gerard?"

He shook his head. "Something awful has happened," he said, with a tear in his eye. Flora looked behind the man and saw that there were police behind him.

"May we have a word, ah ... Goretti, isn't it?" one of the policemen asked.

"Of – of course! Has something happened?" she asked.

The policeman sighed. "Yes. One of your students was found dead on the school property. She took a gunshot wound to the head. A pair of students, young girls, found her, but we have no witnesses as of yet. We need to take you in for questioning."

The woman looked astounded. Then shocked.

"I...I... she's dead?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Who... who was it?" Goretti was getting paler and paler.

"The girl was identified as a fifth year student, Sinead O'Donovan. One of her friends identified her before the body was removed. She – oh!"

The policeman stopped speaking as Goretti fainted. Flora just managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Gerry and the two officers stared as Flora tried to help her up.

"Well, don't just stand there, help me!" Flora cried. The three others rushed over and grabbed Goretti and tried to heave her to her feet.

* * *

Emmy stood in the corridor and looked around. There was no one in sight. Many of the students had gone home after the tragic events of the day. Emmy was wandering around, hoping to bump into a member of staff. She suddenly spotted her old history teacher locking up his classroom.

"Excuse me, sir! Excuse me!" Emmy cried, hoping to catch him. He stopped.

"Yes miss, can I help you?" he asked, turning around.

"Yes. I'm looking for Miss Enright. Do you know where she is?"

He paused, trying to think. "Yes, she's in her classroom, tidying up. All students are going home. They can't stay here, not after what's happened." He looked upset.

Emmy frowned. "What happened?" she asked, but soon regretted it. The poor man looked close to tears. Emmy had never been in this situation with a teacher before. It was unnerving for her.

"I – I'm sorry, I have to go. Take are." And with that, the man ran off.

"God," Emmy thought. "Something terrible must have happened. She set off down the corridor and towards her old English classroom. She suddenly felt a tight feeling in her gut. She hadn't seen her English teacher since the day she found out about her past...

Emmy stopped outside the English room, Room 16. She knocked on the door.

"Come in," a choked voice called.

Emmy opened the door and entered. Anne looked up from her desk. Emmy noticed that her eyes were filled with tears.

"Are you okay?" Emmy asked gently. She had never seen her teacher like this. "What's happened?"

Anne gulped and began to sob. Emmy walked over and put an arm gently around her shoulders.

"Here now. It's okay. I'm here for you." Emmy held her close.

"I'm sorry," Anne choked. "Something terrible has just happened. One of our students has just been killed. Why? Why did it have to be her? She was a good student and a lovely, talented girl. She- she was so kind..." she burst into tears, sobbing her heart out into Emmy's shoulder.

Emmy tightened her grip around Anne's shoulders and rocked her gently.

Anne cried for some time. Emmy sat next to her in silence and held her until she calmed down. Once she stopped crying, Emmy let go of her and held her at arms length. Anne wiped her eyes and smiled at Emmy.

"I'm so sorry for being like this. We've never even met before, and I'm already crying all over you," she said with a watery smile.

Emmy smiled back." She doesn't recognise me," Emmy thought.

"Of course I know you," Emmy said. "Do you really think I'd have stayed to comfort you if I didn't?"

Anne looked confused. "How do you know me? Who are you?"

"You used to teach me, about ten years ago. I'm Emmy, Emmy Bronev."

Anne froze. "WH-what? E-Emmy?"

Emmy nodded. "That's right. I'm back. And I need your help."

Anne wiped her face on her sleeve before she spoke, "I... well... I... what do you need from me?"

"I need to find a young boy. His name is Luke Triton and he is twelve years old. Do you know him?" Emmy asked.

"Yes... yes, he's in my first year English class," Anne said. "Why? What do you want with him?"

"A friend of mine received a letter from him," Emmy replied. "Apparently he has been receiving threats from the person who blew up the high school across the way. This person has also been revealing his plots, but threatens to kill him if he tells police. That's why he wrote and told us, so we could help instead."

"He's not here," Anne said. "All the kids have gone home. They're all horrified by what's happened. I can't say I blame them for going..."

Emmy took her hand. Anne smiled.

"But I can get you his address from the office. He'd probably be at home. None of the parents are letting their kids out of their sight. I don't blame them, either."

"Thank you," Emmy said. "I promise I won't keep you too long."

Anne squeezed Emmy's hand. "Let's go, then."

They both got up and left the room. They headed towards the office. Anne didn't let go of Emmy's hand. Emmy stopped half way down the corridor and stared into the vice principal's office and saw Flora sitting in a chair on her own.

"Flora!" Emmy said sharply, making her jump.

Emmy smiled mischievously and beckoned Flora over to her. "Why were you in there?"

"The crazy lady dragged me in there because I wasn't wearing a uniform," Flora replied, making Anne laugh. "What?"

"Crazy lady..." muttered Emmy, and both she and Anne began to laugh.

"What? She is crazy! She dragged me in there and started yelling at me over "uniform policies" and "great disruptions" and other junk. I mean, I don't even go to school here, for Pete's sake!"

"Flora!"

The three turned around and saw the professor making his way towards them.

"Professor!" Flora exclaimed, running towards him and throwing her arms around his neck."I'm so sorry we got separated! I got kidnapped by this crazy lady and –"

"Never mind that, Flora!" Emmy said, smiling.

"But I didn't tell you about what really happened! There really was a murder!"

Emmy froze and shot a concerned glance at Anne. She looked as though she was going to well up again. Emmy nudged Flora to shut her up and quickly put an arm around Anne once more.

"Listen, miss, why don't you get us that address and head home? You must be exhausted."

"Yeah," she said, "and I'm dying to see my husband and kids after all this."

Emmy smiled. "You go get it. We'll wait here."

Anne left. Emmy turned to the professor and Flora.

"Try not to mention it around her. She's very distressed. One of her best students has just died, after all." Emmy looked sad.

"Did either of you get much information on what's happened?" Layton asked.

"I was there when the police told the deputy principal," Flora replied. "The victim was a fifth year student, a girl named Sinead O'Donovan. She took a gunshot wound to the head. That's what killed her. There were two young girls who found her, but no eyewitnesses. That's all I got."

Emmy and Layton both smiled at Flora.

"That was very astute of you, my dear. That information will be most valuable. Thank you very much."

"That's what I'm here for!" Flora said enthusiastically as Anne returned.

"Did you get it?" Emmy asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "He lives across the road in Beachwood, in number twelve."

"Thank you so much," Emmy said gratefully. "We really appreciate this. You head home now, okay?"

"I will," she said. "Thanks, Emmy. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yes," Emmy replied. "See you."

Anne walked down the corridor and left the building.

"Whose address is that?" Flora asked.

"Luke," Emmy replied. "He goes to school here. He went home after the... events of today. All the kids are traumatised, apparently. I don't blame them, either."

"Our next move is to find the two girls who found her," Layton said. "But seeing Luke about those letters is number one on our list."

"I think the two girls are in police custody," Flora said.

"That makes things difficult," Layton frowned. "They won't tell me anything without a police connection."

Emmy paused. "Professor?"

"Yes, Emmy?"

"Do you want me to get Scotland Yard on this? Then we'll get Grosky's help, and if anyone can get information from police, he can."

"An excellent suggestion," Layton said. "Call him after we speak to Luke."

"I should also call Uncle Leon," Emmy said. "We'll see if he can get us any other help."

"Good. We should go to Luke's. Do you know the way?"

"Yes, Professor," Emmy replied. "Let's go."

* * *

"So is Hershel coming?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't written back. Though I suppose I only sent the letter last week," Luke replied.

"You should have just called him," Brenda said. "Then you would have got a reply straight away."

"I never got a number from him," Luke replied. "I've never needed to. We've always just been together all the time anyway. I just did what everyone else does when they need a mystery to be solved. I sent a letter to Gressenheller. Everyone knows that the professor is always working in Gressenheller."

"The poor man never takes a break," Brenda sighed.

"Mum?" Luke asked.

Brenda looked up, as she heard a worried tone in Luke's voice.

"Yes, Luke?"

"All of this... the letters, the threats... it will stop, won't it? The professor will come won't he?" Luke was close to tears.

Brenda moved closer to her son and put her arms around him comfortingly.

"Of course he will," she said softly. "He's never let us down before, has he?"

"But no one has died before," Luke whimpered, tears pouring down his face. "The person told us that Sinead was going to die, and if we told the police, we'd die too. Either way someone was going to die. I don't want to die, mum." He burst into tears, shaking and sobbing.

Brenda kissed his head and held him tighter.

There was a knock on the door. Brenda let go of her son and made for the door.

"I'll be back in a minute, sweetheart. Stay where you are," Brenda said as she left the room.

Luke wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Come on, man up, Luke," he thought angrily to himself. "Imagine what the professor would think if he was here."

Brenda re-entered the room. She looked worried.

"Is everything okay, mum?"

"There was no one at the door," she said quietly. "Only this."

She held out a letter addressed to Luke.

"Oh, God," Luke thought, terrified of what was to come.

"Do you want me to open it?" Brenda asked soothingly.

Luke nodded. Brenda took the letter from him and opened it. A look of horror entered her face as she stared at the letter.

"Oh no," Luke said, preparing for the worst. "What is it?"

Brenda handed the letter back to Luke. He started shaking and began to cry again.

There were only two words on the page, but that was all that was needed.

It read:

"_Emmy's next."_


	5. A Plan of Action

Chapter 4 – A Plan of Action

"It's just over there," Emmy said, pointing to a house in the middle of the block.

"Let's hurry," Layton said. He was worried about Luke. The events of today had been traumatic for everyone and were heavy material to carry, even for a child as mature and grown up as Luke.

The three of them ran over to the house and Emmy rang the bell. They heard someone hurry to get the door. Brenda opened it, and as soon as she saw who it was, she smiled, relieved.

"Oh, thank God it's you, Hershel," she said. "Come in! We've just got another letter." She looked uneasily at Layton, then at Emmy.

"Thank you," Layton said quickly, and the three went inside.

"Luke is in the living room," Brenda said, looking worried. "He's been in a very bad way since receiving the letter."

"I see," Layton said. "Come, you two," he said to the girls, and they both nodded quickly and followed.

Layton poked his head around the door. Luke was sitting on the sofa. His eyes were red from crying and he was still trembling. However, he smiled as soon as he saw the professor. He jumped up and hugged him.

"Professor! Professor! I'm so glad you've come! We really need your help, we haven't got a clue why any of this is happening, or who's behind it—"

"Don't worry, Luke, we'll solve this one!" Flora said enthusiastically.

"Flora! Flora! You're here too!" Luke yelled joyously, pulling her into a tight hug. They both laughed and rocked each other.

"Hi, Luke," Emmy said, stepping into the room. As she entered, Luke beamed and let go of Flora. He then jumped up into her arms, almost knocking her over, and gripped her tightly.

"Emmy! I can't believe you're here! Where have you been? What have you been up to? Why didn't you call, or write?"

"Whoa, slow down, Luke!" Emmy laughed. She tried to pry Luke off of her, but Luke gripped her tighter and snuggled into her neck.

"Please don't ever leave again, Emmy. Please. I've missed you so much."

Emmy's expression softened. She hugged Luke back and rocked him gently.

"I've really missed you, Emmy."

"Luke, stop, please," Emmy said in a choked voice, tears starting up in her eyes. "You're going to make me cry."

Brenda re-entered the room and smiled at the professor.

"So, Hershel," she said. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad," he replied. "How are you?"

She sighed and sat down. She reached over and stroked Luke's hair.

"Things have been so hectic recently, what with these letters, and all these horrible things happening, and that poor girl getting killed—"

"I knew that girl," Luke said, close to tears again. "Her brother and sister are in my class." He struggled to repress his tears. Emmy gave him a quick squeeze.

"Don't worry," she said in a voice so gentle that the others could hardly recognise it as hers. "We'll get to the bottom of this. We won't let anyone else get hurt. Don't worry."

Luke let go of her and she held him at arm's length. Luke sniffed and wiped away his tears.

"But you don't understand," he said in an agitated voice. "We got another letter today. It was... it was really bad..."

"Let me see," the professor said.

Brenda handed him the letter that had just arrived moments before, trembling. The professor took one look at it and then looked uneasily at Emmy.

Emmy noticed this. "What does it say, professor?"

He handed it to her. She stared at it. Everyone else stared at her, worried. Flora read it over her shoulder and then stared at her as well.

"... Me?" she asked. "But ... why? Who? How does this person know me? Who is this person?"

"We don't know," Brenda said gravely. "They just keep sending us letters with threats and demands. They've been coming for weeks now."

"Let me see some of them," Layton said.

Brenda got up and went over to the bureau in the corner and pulled out a folder.

"I've put them all in here," she said."I thought you'd need them for evidence."

"Thank you," the professor said gratefully. This will be most useful."

He opened the folder and began to read through some of them.

_31/01/14_

_Triton,_

_I will not tell you who I am or where I come from. I will tell you my demand, but that is all. _

_I know exactly who you are and who you know. I know everything about you, dear boy._

_Your religion teacher will not come in today and not for some time either. She will be with me, whether she likes it or not, and I will not let her go until I get what I want. And me getting what I want is extremely important, for you and especially for her. You have something I want and you will give it to me._

_You know of the whereabouts of a certain young lady who goes by the name of Emmeline Altava, and I want to know it._

_If you fail to comply with my demands, certain people will start disappearing from your life and certain things will happen, things you won't like. Don't bother telling the police, or the consequences may be a little more severe. It would be best if you sent a return letter with the information I want enclosed._

_I'll be awaiting your reply._

_Anon. _

"Why didn't you just go to the police there and then?" Flora asked.

"Clark did," Brenda said. "But while he was gone, a thug broke in and threatened Luke. He held him at gunpoint and threatened to shoot unless I called Clark there and then and told him to come back, so I did. The man stayed until Clark got back and said not to try pulling any stunts like that again, or else his boss would break in and kill all of us in our sleep. I didn't want to risk anything so we never went to the police in the end."

"God," Emmy said. "Who is this guy? And what does he want with us?"

"Let's read on, shall we?" Layton asked.

_12/02/14_

_Triton,_

_I warned you. Consider your religion teacher dead. Your neighbour, John Flanagan, will be next._

_I'll be watching you._

_Anon._

"We haven't seen either John or Miss O'Brien since," Luke said worriedly. "Do you think they're dead? Or kidnapped?"

"It's hard to speculate at the moment," Layton said. "What does the next one say?"

"Here, that's the one I got three days ago," Luke said, pointing to the next one.

_22/02/14_

_Triton,_

_I am losing patience. Tell me where she is or I may have to disrupt the lives of several people. _

_I will be in the vicinity of St Mary's high school on Monday the 24__th__ at aprox.2.25 pm. Make sure you're there, or say goodbye to this school._

_I'll be waiting._

_Anon._

"That's the school we saw blow upon the news, wasn't it Professor?" Flora asked anxiously.

The professor nodded. "Did you go there, Luke?

"No," Luke replied, "But Dad did. He told him that we didn't know where Emmy was, so he gave us that letter and left."

He pointed at the next letter in the pile. Layton read it.

_24/02/14_

_Triton,_

_I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this. One of your friends, Sinead O'Donovan, will die. You've had your final warning._

_Anon._

"One of your friends, Sinead O'Donovan," Emmy read. "Is that... the girl?"

Luke nodded.

"And we got this one today," Brenda said.

_Emmy's next._

"We must find out who this person is," the professor said. "Many lives are in danger now. We must stop him."

"Agreed," Emmy said. "I'll call Uncle Leon, to see where he is and if he's got anything."

"Uncle Leon?" Luke exclaimed in disbelief. "_Bronev?_"

"Yes, Luke," the professor said. "He has been released from prison on the condition that he finds a man. He thinks it's the same man we're after."

"Its okay, Luke" Emmy said. "We can trust him. He won't do anything to you; this is different to the last time. We're all on the same side."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked doubtfully.

Emmy smiled. "Positive," she replied.

"What do you mean _"he won't do anything to you?"_?" Brenda asked suspiciously. "Do you mean to say that this man has tried to hurt Luke before?"

"Ah..." Luke said awkwardly. "Um... kind of."

"No," Emmy lied. "He tried to discover the Azran legacy for his own purposes, and he was at odds with us. That's all."

"So why was he in prison?" Brenda asked sharply.

"Yeah," Flora asked suddenly. "Why is that?"

"Because he had spies in the government, the army and the police force to recover information on the Azran and other civilisations. But he managed to get other information on the government's other operations as well. It was because of this that he was considered a threat to our national security, knowing things that he wasn't supposed to. So they locked him up in prison to keep him quiet," Emmy lied again.

"Ah," Brenda said, looking a little less worried and angry. "So he has never put you or Luke in danger?"

"No."

"Alright," Brenda said, satisfied. "So, why did the government get him to go after this man? Why didn't they send some of their own agents to do it?"

"They did," Emmy replied, "But they haven't been successful. Leon, being a "criminal of the law", knows how his mind works, and how to find people who have supposedly been erased from society, people who don't want to be found."

"So they got Mr. Bronev to find him, because he actually knows what he's doing?" Flora said.

"Pretty much, yeah," Emmy replied.

"So where is he now?" Luke asked. "Why isn't he here?"

"He had to meet someone at the airport, but he should be here soon," Emmy said. "That's why I want to call him, to see where he is."

"You do that," Layton told her. "I'll try and get in touch with Inspector Grosky to see if we can get a case file on that murder.

Both Layton and Emmy left the room to make phone calls. Flora sat down on the sofa next to Luke and smiled. Luke smiled back.

"Why don't I put the kettle on?"Brenda asked. "I'm sure Hershel wouldn't say no to a cup of tea."

"Yeah," Flora said. He hasn't had anything since six thirty this morning. He and Emmy must be starving, I know I am."

Brenda smiled. "Well, I can fix that." and she left the room and headed for the kitchen.

Flora smiled again and turned to Luke. "So, how have things been here? What is your new school like?"

"Well, up until recently, things have been pretty good. I'm all settled into school and I'm doing pretty well in all my subjects."

"That's great!" Flora exclaimed.

"How have things been in London?"

"It's been really quiet without you. I think the professor feels kind of awkward without having you around. He doesn't talk as much as he used to. He's still got me, obviously, but it's not the same, you know?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "I felt kind of weird hanging around at home all day instead of going to work with the professor at first, but I just hang around town with my new friends instead."

Flora nodded. "So long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

"I've really missed you and the professor, though," Luke said. "And London, and Gressenheller, and my old school... pretty much everything, really. But it's good here too."

"Yeah," Flora said understandingly. "I miss it in St. Mystere sometimes. I miss all the villagers and Bruno too. And I miss messing around with all his machines and computers and stuff."

"Yeah."

There was silence for a moment, as Luke tried to think of what to say next.

"So, how has school been without me?"

Flora's look soured. "Not great. The others take your leaving as an incentive to start picking on me again. They never stop."

Luke placed an arm around Flora's shoulders.

"They all think I'm stupid, just because I ask questions about what I don't understand."

"Ignore them, Flora. They're the stupid ones."

Brenda poked her head around the door. "Lunch is ready," she said.

"Okay. Thanks Mum!" Luke said and he smiled.

The three of them went to the kitchen, where they saw the professor drinking a cup of tea.

"Did you get anything out of the inspector, Professor?"

"Well, I think you should call him superintendent now, Luke. He got promoted, apparently, after he arrested Bronev," the professor said. "and he said that he can't do much at the moment, because it is out of his jurisdiction, but if he's the same man that Bronev is after, then he has information on the British government, meaning his arrest is compulsory in the eyes of British jurisdictional law as well as Irish jurisdictional law, so he will have to get involved. So the first thing we have to do is prove that he is the same man as the one Bronev wants. We really can't do anything until Bronev arrives. Why don't you two sit down and eat?"

"Oh ... okay," Luke said taking a seat and grabbing a sandwich.

"Where is Emmy?" Flora asked, taking the seat next to the professor.

"She's still on the phone to Bronev, she'll be here in a minute," the professor replied.

* * *

Emmy tried again, but there was still no answer. She began to grow worried as she tried again.

Still nothing.

She sighed, trying again to call him.

This time, he answered. "Hello?" he said.

Emmy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she said. "I thought something had happened to you. Where are you? Did you meet her?"

"Yes," Bronev replied. "She's here with me. She wants to give you a check up when she sees you. She has also been on to her contacts in the government, and they have permitted us to start up our team."

"Great!" Emmy exclaimed, ecstatic. "So when do we start?"

"Immediately," Bronev replied. "Call everyone you think can help, Vinnie, Carla, Antonio, Johnny– the old crowd. Call Bloom too, and tell him I have a job for him. He'll come ASAP."

"Right," Emmy said, mentally taking note of this.

"Did you get any other information on him?" Bronev asked.

"He killed a girl today, from Luke's school. She was sixteen, name of Sinead O'Donovan. That's all I know. The police won't tell us anything else. The professor is calling Grosky as we speak, to see if we can get a report on this incident, and all the other ones."

"Other ones?" Bronev asked. "What else has he done?"

"He kidnapped Luke's religion teacher, then his neighbour, then he blew up that school and now the girl," Emmy said. "I think he's deliberately trying to traumatise Luke to get to me, and is taking horrifically drastic measures too."

"So this man..." Bronev began.

"Is the one you're after? I'm sure of it. He kept demanding that Luke should tell him where I was, and then today Luke got a letter saying that I was next."

Bronev paused. "I think you're spot on. Good girl. Where exactly are you?"

"We're in number 12 on the Beachwood estate. Ann Marie was a big help."

"Alright. We're in Midleton near the school now, so we'll be there in a minute."

"Okay, see you then," Emmy said.

"Bye." He hung up.

Layton suddenly emerged from the kitchen. "Is everything alright, Emmy?"

"Yep," she said. "Uncle Leon will be here in a minute. He's just by the school. What did Grosky say?"

"We need some hard core evidence that he's the same man your uncle is after before he can come so that it can be relevant to our jurisdiction."

"Okay," Emmy said.

"We're having lunch in here, are you hungry?"

"Ooh, yes, I'm always hungry!" Emmy said enthusiastically, and they both laughed and re-entered the kitchen.

* * *

"So how has she been in the last few days?" Celeste asked.

"Much better. Those pills have certainly done the trick. She's a lot less anxious now than she was a few weeks ago. She was in a desperate state of mind when she came to see me in prison, that's why I sent her back to you in the first place."

"And she hasn't had any side effects?"

"Well, she has been vomiting a lot recently, she can hardly keep her breakfast down in the mornings," Bronev said, looking a bit worried.

"I can give her something to keep her food down, if you like, just until we wean her of those pills again."

"That would be great, thank you," Bronev said gratefully. "I'm sure she would really appreciate that."

"And how have her injuries healed up?" Celeste asked.

"They have scabbed over and are doing well, considering," Bronev replied. "I've been keeping a close eye on her, checking her wounds, counting her pills, the usual drill," he said.

Celeste smiled. "She's very lucky to have you, you know. I hope she knows that."

Bronev smiled back. "She does. She was very happy when I checked in on her this morning."

"Good."

"Here we are, now, sir, madam, and that will be twenty six fifty four when you're ready, the taxi driver said.

Bronev handed him a fifty note. "Keep the change."

"Thanks, love."

Bronev and Celeste got out of the car and made their way towards number 12.

When they reached it, Bronev knocked on the door. Brenda answered.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes. Is there a young lady called Emmy Altava present?"

"Uh..." Brenda looked at him worriedly.

"Do not be alarmed, madam. I am a relative of Emmy's, my name is Leon Bronev."

"Ah!" Brenda said, looking relieved. "My apologies, Mr. Bronev. We've been expecting you. Do come in." She gestured at the door.

"Thank you very much," Bronev said as the two of them entered.

"Emmy is in the kitchen with the others," Brenda said, leading the way.

Bronev and Celeste followed her to the kitchen.

Emmy," Brenda said. "Your uncle is here."

"Oh!" Emmy said. "Hi Leon. Hello Doctor."

"Hello, dear," Celeste said, smiling at Emmy. "How are you today?"

"Not bad," Emmy said, smiling. She turned to the others. "Everyone, this is Doctor Celeste Folley, she will be helping us with our investigation."

Celeste smiled. "Hello, Hershel," she said.

Emmy froze. Bronev frowned. Everyone else in the room stared at the professor.

"You ... you two know each other?" Emmy asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yes," the professor said. He sounded distant. "We... she is... was... Claire's mother."

Luke stopped stuffing his face with sandwiches and Flora froze. Emmy frowned.

"Who's Claire?" she asked, earning a quick nudge from Luke.

"We'll tell you later," he whispered.

"Hello, Celeste," the professor said, clearing his throat. "How have you been?"

"Very well thank you," she said and sat down at the table.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, thank you," Celeste said.

"So... what field do you specialise in? What with you being a doctor and everything," Flora asked.

"I specialise in psychology, though I teach English and Maths to secondary school students also," Celeste replied. "I was called to aid the resistance to give an idea of what may be going through this man's mind and to give ideas of what his motives may be and what he'll do next."

"Hold on... resistance?" Luke asked. What's that?"

"That is what we are calling our group of people who are trying to stop him," she explained. "I just got permission from government officials to set up this organisation to arrest this man and find out why he has been doing these things."

"So, how many people are in this resistance?" the professor asked.

"Just us at the moment," Celeste replied," but I was hoping you could help me there."

"What do you mean?" asked Layton.

"I need you to contact everyone you think will be able to help with this," she said. "The more people we have on our side, the better."

"Right..." the professor said, thinking. "Define the term "help". What exactly are you looking for in a member of this resistance?"

"We need people trained in hand to hand combat," Celeste replied. "We also need people who have knowledge of the Azran civilisation."

Layton, Luke and Emmy all froze at this.

"Um... why?" Emmy asked.

"We think that Vaughan is after certain Azran relics from this area," Celeste replied.

"You mean the ones Uncle Leon was after over here ten years ago?" Emmy asked.

"Precisely," Bronev replied. "I never did tell you much about that did I Emmeline?"

"No," Emmy replied.

"Well allow me to explain. These objects are known in the world of archaeology as "renaissance artefacts", or "artefacts of rebirth"."

"Ah, yes. I've read about those," the professor said. "It was in an article published in a magazine, and it was written by a former Targent member. These objects have the power to open the door of an ancient Azran burial ground, where if you bury a deceased person there, they apparently come back to life."

"Really?" Luke said eagerly. "Another Azran site? Wow! I've never heard of it before, though."

"It is one of the Azran's lesser known myths," Bronev stated.

"So, Vaughan wants these relics to bring someone back from the dead?" Layton asked. "Or just for fame?"

"Those are his most popular motives," Bronev said.

"But what would he want with Emmy?" Luke asked.

"Unknown," Bronev said. "All I know is that is what Vaughan is after. And if we can determine if Vaughan is the one who is responsible for what is happening here, which is most likely, considering that the artefacts are rumoured to be here somewhere, then there is a definite connection to Vaughan and our current situation here, and we will be able to join forces with Scotland Yard, the local police here and whoever we can get to help us with our resistance here as well, which will be good, as the more eyes we have on this man, the better."

"So how can we prove who this person really is?" Emmy asked.

"That's where young Flora here comes in," Bronev said, smiling at Flora.

Flora paused, looking confused. "Why me?"

"Layton says that you're good with computers, is that right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I need you to freeze frame the news footage we saw yesterday where Vaughan is running away from that school before it exploded. Can you do that?"

"Yep," Flora said.

"Good."

"But don't you need certain software to do this?" Emmy asked.

"Yeah. I have it on my laptop," Flora replied, taking it out of her bag. "I'll need Wi-Fi access, to get the news footage to work with."

Flora switched it on and started to tap away at the keyboard. She then turned to Brenda.

"Can you type in your password?"

Brenda leaned in and typed it in.

"Thank you." Flora continued to tap away at the keyboard vigorously. "There," she said finally. "All set." She then proceeded to go into YouTube and got footage of the news report of the explosion. She then slowed it down and rifled through each individual picture that the footage was made up of. She chose the one with the best view of the man and zoomed into it to get a better view of it, sharpened it to get rid of the square effect and turned to Bronev.

"Is this our man?" she asked.

"Yes," Bronev replied. "That's him. I recognise that trademark mask of his anywhere. Email it to Grosky and tell him to report here immediately."

"Yes sir," Flora replied and sent the email with an attachment of what Bronev said.

"What now?" the professor asked. "What will we do while we wait for the superintendant?"

"Call everyone you know who is linked to the Azran," Bronev said. "I'll call all of the old Targent members. That'll give us a pretty good start. Emmeline, call all of the usual suspects and tell them to get over her as soon as possible. We shall call for a conference when they're all here to decide on a plan of action."

"I think I know of a few people who can help," Luke said. "Mum and Dad can help with the archaeology side of it. And I think Dad has a few friends from back in Gressenheller who know about the Azran."

"Good. Call them and get them over here," Bronev said. "The more help we have, the better."

"I'll call Randall and Henry," the professor said. "They'll be able to help us with the Azran side of this. They did discover the Akbadain ruins, after all. They'll feel that they have a duty to be were."

"Excellent," Bronev said. "Let's get to it."

* * *

About three quarters of an hour later, all parties had been phoned and were preparing for their journey.

"This is excellent," Bronev said. "We must have at least three hundred resistance members by now, and Emmeline and I still haven't gotten back to all of the Targent members yet. Once we're finished, we should have at least a thousand or more."

"Really?" Luke asked. "Wow!"

"I'm almost done," Emmy said. "I've just sent emails to the rest, and am awaiting reply."

"Good." Bronev sat down, exhausted.

"You look wrecked," Emmy said, sitting next to him and rubbing his back.

"I'll be fine," Bronev said stubbornly.

"Stop and have a cup of tea," Emmy said soothingly, "I'll finish this."

"Thank you, Emmeline. You're a good girl."

Emmy smiled and put the kettle on. She then proceeded to make everyone in the room tea.

Celeste checked her watch. "It's almost a quarter past two. We've contacted everyone we know of. What now?"

"We need to try and figure out what he's going to do next," Bronev said. "And where. We'll also need weapons, to defend ourselves. Things will get nasty. I suggest that you let me and Emmeline handle that part," he added. "We have experience at this sort of thing. And one of you could get seriously hurt."

"Um..." Layton looked at Emmy, concerned. "No. I don't want to put Emmy at risk."

"Emmeline will be fine. As I say, she has experience at this sort of thing."

"Having experience doesn't mean she's indestructible," Flora pointed out.

"I don't think anyone should go rushing into anything just yet," Celeste said. "Experience or no experience," she added as Bronev opened his mouth to protest. "Leon, I can see the logic in striking right away while it's still quiet, but you've just had a rough flight and all this has happened... no, you're in no fit state to do this."

"I agree," Emmy said. "I'll go."

"No," Celeste.

"But this person wants me, no one else."

"Who says he wants you?" Celeste asked. "If he wanted you, he would have tracked you down using the government information he possesses. He wouldn't go terrorising a little boy if he just wanted to find you. No, he wants to hurt you, to hit you where it hurts most. But you mustn't rise to it."

"But a little girl got killed today because of me!" Emmy exclaimed. "And people have been kidnapped, maybe even killed, and buildings have been blown up and so many lives have been disrupted—"

"Yes, but that is not your fault!"

"Did you read that letter yet?" Emmy asked. "It said Emmy's next – me! So I have to go before someone else gets hurt!"

"No," Celeste said firmly. "I won't let you and neither will Leon."

"No, I won't let you," Bronev said.

Emmy let out an angry sigh.

"We don't want you getting hurt," Bronev said. "If I were there, I could protect you, but if I'm not going then neither are you."

"So if no one is going, then what do we do?" Luke asked. "We're not prepared for an attack tonight – we have no weapons, no people to help, nothing! What if someone else gets killed, or hurt? What do we do then?"

"I suggest we do a bit of sleuthing and find out exactly what this man is up to," the professor said. "And when we know for sure, we go to the police and let them handle it."

"And how do you propose we get this information?" Celeste asked. "All we have to go on is that letter saying "Emmy's next". There can hardly be a secret message hidden in the letter."

"No," the professor said, "But there is a common pattern amongst these crimes that we have overlooked."

Everyone stopped and listened a little closer.

"Is this your intuition again, professor?" Luke said excitedly.

"Something like that. Did you notice anything peculiar about the incidents we've had thus far?" Layton asked.

Everyone stopped to think.

"Um... besides the fact that everyone who has come into contact with this man is now dead?" Emmy asked nervously.

"And the fact that he is doing them anyway?" Flora added.

"And the fact that the only people who know the truth about these happenings is us, Luke piped up. "I mean, we tried to tell the police, but Vaughan's thug stopped us. I suppose the police would have made the connection by now, that it has to be the same man committing all of these crimes, but they don't know that he wants Emmy."

Did you notice that there were no witnesses to any of the crimes?" Layton asked.

"Yes," Luke said. "After Miss O'Brien went missing, I asked around to see if anyone saw anything, and no one did. And her car was still parked in the school car park, and she lives all the way in Kerry, so I doubt she walked all that way. And it was the same when Mr. Flanagan next door vanished."

"Yes, I asked everyone on this estate, but no one saw anything," Brenda said.

"And in the high school, everyone was forced to leave before it blew up!" Flora said. "So no one could see!"

"Yes!" Layton said. "And Flora said that there were no eyewitnesses to the murder."

"Yeah," Flora said. "The police said that before they took those teachers into custody."

"So no one saw anything of what he did..." Celeste said, thinking.

"So, technically, there is no proof of the two "kidnapped" people actually being kidnapped." Layton deducted. "I think he may have threatened them, telling them to go, and not to come back until we figured this out for ourselves."

"So they were never really kidnapped in the first place!" Luke exclaimed. "Brilliant, Professor!"

"But what about that explosion?" Emmy asked. "There may have been no casualties, but that's no reason to blow up a school! What about those poor kids? What'll they do about school and learning and their project work is ruined!"

"I think the explosion was just an exhibition, to show that he means business," Layton said. "He wants us to think that he is a dangerous psycho, when really, all he wants to do is get to Emmy through Luke."

"But what about the murder?" Bronev asked. He's never hurt anyone up until now, so why do so today? That throws your theory right off course."

"I think that this has something to do with the Azran artefacts he's after," Layton said. "Perhaps he killed this person in order to test out the powers. He may plan on stealing the girl's remains and testing the burial ground out on her, to see if she comes back to life. And he may have chosen her to enhance his traumatising effect on Luke."

"So, you think he's found this burial ground?" Bronev asked.

"I'm not sure," Layton said. "That's the only part I haven't managed to work out."

"So you think his next move is to steal the girl's remains, and if he has found the burial grounds, he'll test them out on her, but if he hasn't, he may keep her in some sort of preservation until he does find it?" Celeste asked.

"Exactly," Layton said. "So we must keep the girl's remains under close supervision so that Vaughan cannot get to them."

"I think you're wrong," Bronev said.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"Trust me, the professor knows what he's talking about," Luke said, looking annoyed.

"I know more about this burial ground, as I did extensive research into it and uncovered facts about it that only Targent members were allowed to know," Bronev said. "Your theory is correct, but with one flaw, and I think I have the solution to that."

"Oh really?" Layton asked, intrigued. "Do go on, Bronev."

"There was a person who ran the burial ground," Bronev began.

"You mean Jai of Birth and Rebirth?" Emmy asked.

"Jai of Birth and Rebirth?" Layton asked. "I have never heard of this person."

"This person was discovered after the publication of Donald Rutledge's ancient histories, and all official archaeological documentation on the Azran is based entirely on that book," Bronev explained. "Rutledge knew of the mythical existence of the artefacts of rebirth, but put it down as a fictitious myth. I thought it intriguing, as I had never encountered fictitious myths in Azran history. All Azran myths link to a truth about the Azran. Ten years ago, Emmeline and I came here in search of these artefacts, but our efforts were fruitless. We went home empty handed, but I never doubted their existence."

"So, Jai of Birth and Rebirth?" Layton asked.

"Yes. This Azran woman was the creator of Azran life. Her soul is immortal and lives forever in the underworld. She was in control of the creation of new life, and she, and only she, could decide if any deceased person was worthy of being brought back to life in the burial ground. Now, she lives forever in the underworld and can come back to our world, the material world, at any time, but only under a certain condition. She can only come back in a recently deceased body."

So that's why Vaughan shot her?" Luke asked. "So that Jai would have a body to return to."

"Exactly. She was meant to contain the soul of Jai. She had to die so that Jai could take control over her body. I think Jai communicated with Vaughan somehow and made him kill the girl, and that in return, she would show him where the burial ground is," Bronev deducted. "Although, this is just a theory, nothing more. I could yet be wrong."

"I'm going to the morgue anyway to watch the girl's body," Emmy said. "We can take it in shifts, and no one leave the body until Jai comes back. Maybe we can persuade her to help us instead of Vaughan."

"I think she will," Flora said. "I mean she only helps those who are worthy of her help, and I really don't think Vaughan has been a very worthy person recently, what with threatening Luke to get to you and everything."

"We can only hope," Emmy said, getting up to leave the room.

"You watch her until six, then Celeste can watch until ten, then I'll do half the nightshift and you can come back for the other half," Bronev declared.

"Okay. See you later, then." And she left.

"So, what do we do now?" Flora asked.

"We wait," Layton said. "I think things are about to get interesting."

* * *

Emmy stood by the welcome desk, waiting for assistance. She saw someone in the back room behind the desk and called over to them.

"Excuse me, sir! Can you help me?"

The man rushed over and smiled to Emmy.

"My apologies miss. How can I help?"

"I need to protect a body," Emmy said. "I... um..." Emmy suddenly realised that she had no clue of how to explain the situation without looking like a complete idiot, talking about the underworld and the like. "Uh..."

"You want to see a body?" the man asked.

"Yes! I – I mean, yes, I do," Emmy said sheepishly, turning red.

"Can you tell me the name of the deceased?"

"Sinead O'Donovan."

He opened a big book and flipped through it, trying to find her name. "Ah, yes. Room 3. It's down that corridor, third door on the left."

"Thank you." Emmy turned to leave.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss," the man said.

"Thank you," Emmy said and she smiled briefly. She then set off down the corridor.

She arrived at the door of room 3. She took a deep breath. "I haven't been in one of these since Granddad died," Emmy thought to herself. She reached for the handle, bracing herself.

But before she could even touch the handle, she heard a horrified scream coming from inside the room. Emmy jumped backwards away from the door, shocked.

The man from the desk tore down the corridor as fast as he could. He stopped in front of Emmy.

"Are you okay?" he asked, panting.

"That wasn't me, it came from in there!" Emmy exclaimed, pointing to the door of room 3.

The man reached for the door handle, but someone else opened it before him.

A girl of about sixteen years of age stepped out. She had black hair and a grey-ish tinge to her skin, and was tall for her age. She had a gunshot wound to her right temple.

The man from the desk fainted. Emmy looked in the door and saw that the woman who was with the body, presumably another worker at the morgue, had also fainted.

"Sorry about that," the girl said to Emmy.

Emmy tried to talk back, but couldn't get the words out.

"Have a nice day," the girl said, and walked off down the corridor.

"Wait! WAIT!" Emmy yelled, running after the girl.

The girl walked on and paid no attention.

Emmy caught up with the girl and grabbed her arm. "Please stop!" Emmy said. "I need your help."

The girl stopped and looked at Emmy. Emmy felt scared by the girl's face. One side of it was covered in rich red blood. Her skin was grey. Her eyes were colourless and dead-looking. There wasn't a hint of life in her face.

"Please... don't tell Vaughan where the burial ground is," Emmy begged. "Please."

The girl stared at Emmy, scaring her even more. There was a moment of silence as the girl merely stared expressionlessly at Emmy.

"Alright," the girl said. She started to walk away again.

"Wait!" Emmy shouted, running after her again. "Where are you going? Can I help you?"

"No." The girl didn't stop, she just kept on walking. Emmy caught up with her again and walked with her.

"Why don't you come with me? I can get you cleaned up and we can decide what to do next?" Emmy said.

The girl shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I must find my friend."

"Well, who is she?" Emmy asked. "Perhaps I could help you find her."

"She is Azran," the girl said. "You would not know her."

"Oh." Emmy gulped. "Well... all of the Azran died out. I think you're the only one left now."

"No." The girl turned to look at Emmy. "Where there are Azran, there is the emissary of the Azran."

"What? The emissary?" Emmy asked. She stopped a moment and thought. Suddenly, it dawned on her.

"_Aurora?_"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Triton residence, there was yet another knock at the door.

"Emmeline can't be back already," Bronev said.

Brenda got up and answered the door. A man in a black suit and red glasses was there, accompanied by another man in a red suit and a girl who looked about Flora and Luke's age.

"Can I help you?" Brenda asked.

"We are here to see Leon Bronev," the first man replied.

"Oh," you must be from Targent," Brenda said. "Please, come in."

"Thank you." The three of them stepped inside.

"Everyone's in the kitchen," Brenda said, leading the way. "Mr. Bronev, some of your colleagues are here," Brenda said.

"Really? Already?" Bronev said, standing up to get a better look at their present company. He then sat back down, shocked.

Layton and Luke stared at the man, awestruck.

"D-Descole?" Luke said, shocked. He then looked at the girl behind him and gasped. "Au-Aurora? AURORA!"

* * *

"_Aurora?"_ Emmy asked incredulously. "Aurora is alive?"

"Yes. She is the chosen one. She, and only she, can bring peace to this world once more. And I was sent to protect her," the girl replied.

"But ... Aurora died about eighteen months ago," Emmy said.

"She did not die," the girl said. "Her body ceased to function, but her soul remained intact. I must go to Froenbourg immediately to recover her body and let her return to it naturally."

"I'll go with you," Emmy said. "Please. I want to. Just let me call my uncle first."

The girl nodded. Emmy smiled and got her phone out to call her uncle. She dialled the number.

"Hello?" Bronev said.

"She's back, Uncle Leon. Jai's back. She's right here."

"She's not the only one who's back. The other Azran girl, Aurora, she's here with Descole."

"What!" Emmy yelped, shocked.

"Yes. She came back from the spirit underworld, just as Jai did. Her body was preserved in the sanctuary as when it fell, it was then sealed in the ice it was originally cased in. Aurora sent a message telepathically to Descole and he went and got her out. She wants to stop Vaughan from using the burial ground. Apparently, she has a very bad feeling about it."

"Jai is looking for Aurora," Emmy said. "I'll head back and bring her with me."

"Alright," Bronev said. "See you soon."

He hung up.

"Jai," Emmy said. "Aurora –"

"— is there. We must go quickly." Jai set off again. Emmy ran after her.

* * *

"So, why have you come back, Aurora?" Luke asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Yes," Aurora said. "The man you're after, the man who wants to find the Grounds of Rebirth, will put everyone in danger if he uses it. You see, using the Grounds of Rebirth is not a good thing. It is impossible to bring someone back from the dead. The Grounds of Rebirth only give life to the body. The souls of those who were too... bad... to be given life take over the body of the person you bury. Once you leave the material world, you can never come back the same."

"But you did, didn't you?" Flora asked.

"No. My soul left my body, but it did not leave the material world. You see, when you die, your soul leaves your body and you are given the choice to stay in the material world and wait for someone with the right characteristics to die so that you can take over their body, and at the same time witness pain and suffering in the material world, or you can move on and have all of your memory wiped and start a new life afresh, in a new body with new people. Most people start again, but there are only two people who have lasted in the material world as a spirit form only, as the others who choose to stay go insane and move on eventually."

"And you are one of the two people?" Layton asked.

"Yes," Aurora said. "And the other is—"

"Jai," Bronev said. "Jai of Birth and Rebirth."

"Yes," Aurora said. "Jai decides who is worthy to have a life. There are good souls, the ones which inhabit human forms, but there are others that are...bad."

"What do you mean by that?" Descole asked.

"They... they are evil. They are hell bent on destruction. They kill all that they see, destroy all that they touch."

"And it is these souls that inhabit the bodies of the dead who are buried in the Grounds of Rebirth, is that correct?" the professor asked.

"Yes," Aurora said. "They do not come back as the good people who left. They come back as monsters."

The professor opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll go," Luke said. He got up and left.

"And the Azran discovered this about the garden?" the professor asked.

"Yes, they did Professor. The Grounds of Rebirth were used once to resurrect our dead queen, the Queen of Ambrosia, but... it failed," Aurora said sadly. "She came back... bad. She tried to kill everyone that she saw, and she broke everything that she touched. In the end, her servants... they had to kill her again to protect everyone from her wrath."

"I see," the professor said.

Luke returned into the kitchen with Emmy and Jai at his heels.

"Ah, Emmeline, this is Jai, I presume?" Bronev asked.

Emmy nodded.

Bronev held out his hand to Jai. "Hello. My name is Leon Bronev. I am an archaeologist who studies the Azran civilisation. It truly is an honour to meet you."

Jai ignored him. She walked over to Aurora and started to speak to her in a strange language, presumably Azran. Aurora talked back and the two engaged in a conversation. Bronev and Descole frowned, trying in vain to make sense of what they were saying.

Emmy stood next to Bronev and whispered in his ear, "She's not the... friendly type."

Bronev nodded. "Reclusive?" he asked.

Emmy nodded back. "It must be hard for her, being away from what she knows and being thrown into a strange new world."

"Yes."

"I am supposed to be meeting Vaughan by the forestry at ten o'clock tonight," Jai said, making everyone look up. "Be there if you want to stop him. Come, Aurora, we have places to be." She beckoned for Aurora to follow and left.

"So, what are we supposed to do until then?" Luke asked after the two girls had left."We don't have back up coming until tomorrow, so there's really nothing we can do until ten."

"We'll need to get accommodation," the professor said.

"Stay here!" Brenda said. We have room. I'm sure we could squeeze you all here if we had to."

"Well... alright," Layton decided. "Flora and I will stay here."

"Uncle Leon, Doctor Folley and I can get hotel rooms," Emmy said.

"Nonsense! There's no point in you forking out good money if you can stay here for free," Brenda insisted. "And besides, who knows how long this will take to clear up?"

"Yes, Emmeline," Bronev said. "She is right. Thank you, Mrs. Triton," he added, smiling at Brenda.

"It's no trouble, really," Brenda smiled.

"I think I'll stay in a hotel," Celeste insisted. "I think I'll be more comfortable there. Thank you very much for your kind offer, though."

"No problem," Brenda replied. "But you know where to come if you need anything. And that goes for all of you."

"I'll go to a hotel as well," Descole said, "But I think Aurora should stay here where it's safer."

"Agreed," Layton said.

"I'll go wherever you go, master," Raymond said.

"Well, that's settled," Descole said. "We'll be off now. Miss Altava, here is my number. Call me at quarter to ten and I'll meet you wherever." He handed Emmy a card with his number on and he left with Raymond following.

"I had better go as well," Celeste said, "and book a room somewhere. Call me when you're setting off to meet him." And she also left.

"Come, Emmeline," Bronev said. "We had better go and see what that girl is up to. The rest of you stay here, we'll report back if we have any new leads." Bronev took Emmy's hand and they left.

"I'd better clean out the spare room," Brenda said. "And the living room too, by the looks of it."

"I'll help," Luke said.

They both left and the professor and Flora were left alone in the kitchen. Layton turned to Flora and sighed.

"This is going to be a long day."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Aurora asked.

Jai said nothing.

"Where are we going?" Aurora repeated. "And why are we going there?"

Jai just kept on walking silently.

"Come on, Jai!" Aurora said furiously. "Tell me what you're planning! I know that you promised that man that you would tell him the location of the Grounds of Rebirth, but you told Emmy that you wouldn't. So what are your intentions?"

"You know as well as I do what happens if you use the Grounds of Rebirth," Jai said shortly, "so of course I'm not going to tell him. Do you really think I would endanger the entire human race so that I could regain control of my body? Did you even consider for a moment that I hate the idea of the Grounds of Rebirth falling into the wrong hands as much as you do?"

"Yes," Aurora said. "I just need to know what your intentions are."

Jai fell silent again.

"If you're not going to tell me what you're plan is, then why did you bring me here?" Aurora asked. "I know that you are not the type of person who wastes other people's time."

"You will know eventually," Jai said. "Just be patient."

They stopped outside a newsagent in downtown Midleton.

"Keep walking downtown until you lose the Altava woman," Jai said. "I'll lose Bronev."

"What?"

"They're following us. And the place which we are headed is not for their eyes. We cannot trust anyone here, no matter how trustworthy they may appear to be. The allure of the Grounds of Rebirth is too great for the likes of them, you understand. Meet me back at the school where the girl was murdered."

Aurora stood and stared at Jai.

"Go," Jai said.

Aurora walked away and headed downtown, as instructed.

"Why are they splitting up?" Emmy asked.

"I'm not sure," Bronev replied. "But Jai is definitely up to something. Follow Aurora, I'll follow Jai."

Emmy swiftly obeyed. Bronev backed into an alleyway and watched as Jai made her way into a chemist. He then followed hurriedly, not wanting to lose her.

He heard a yell as he entered. He hurried over to the aisle by the counter and hid behind it, looking over to Jai.

"Jesus Christ, what happened to your face?" the woman behind the counter exclaimed, shocked.

"Do you have anything to clean up this mess with?" Jai asked.

"Yes... here." The woman handed Jai a first aid kit.

"Is there somewhere private?"

"Yeah, the staff toilets. Follow me."

The two of them left. Bronev stood by the counter and waited for the shop assistant to return. She did a few moments later.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked, looking a bit sick.

"Yes," Bronev said, "Is there a door out the back, where you just sent that girl?"

"No," she said, "why?"

"Well..." Bronev stopped to think. "That girl... she is my daughter, and she ran away when I tried to take her to hospital. She has a phobia, you see."

"Ah, I see! So... what happened to her?"

"She won't tell me," Bronev lied. "It looks like a gunshot wound to me, though. I really think she should be in a hospital."

"Do you want me to go and get her?" the woman asked.

"Yes, please," Bronev said.

The woman left. She came back a few minutes later alone.

"She's gone. I don't know how, but she's gone. It looks like she cleaned herself up and left. I don't know how she did it, but she's not there."

"Damn it," Bronev muttered. He then ran out of the shop.

"It's alright," the shop assistant said, "You can come out now."

Jai emerged from out the back. She had bandaged up her head and cleaned up the blood.

"Thank you. I am eternally in your debt." Jai said, extending a hand to the woman.

"I couldn't let the man who did that to you stroll on in there and get you again, could I?" the woman said, shaking Jai's hand.

"I hope I can return the favour some day. Goodbye." And Jai left the shop and headed in the opposite direction to Bronev.

The woman sighed heavily. "Kids today," she thought aloud.

* * *

Emmy followed Aurora down the town and into a supermarket. She followed as Aurora weaved in and out of the aisles, obviously trying to lose her. Emmy kept a close eye on Aurora and followed her every move. "She won't get rid of me that easily," Emmy thought to herself.

"Emmy!" Emmy heard a voice calling her. She turned around and saw her old biology teacher, Miss Lordon, calling for her. Emmy smiled as her old teacher approached her.

"Anne said you were back!" she beamed. "God, how long has it been?"

"About nine years," Emmy replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, and yourself?"

"I'm good," Emmy said brightly.

"How did you get on in your exams in the end?"

"Great," Emmy lied. "Straight A's all the way."

Geraldine laughed and Emmy laughed too.

"So how long will you be staying here for?" Geraldine asked.

"I'm not sure," Emmy said. "It depends on how long my uncle is staying for, I suppose."

"So what brings you back here?"

"A friend of mine asked me to come. I'm investigating what happened in St. Mary's yesterday."

"Really?" Geraldine asked, astounded. "Do you know who's behind it yet?"

"We have an idea. We're still trying to uncover some more facts, though."

"Well, good luck with that. Do try to drop by the school if you get the chance, won't you?"

"Of course I will," Emmy smiled.

Geraldine checked her watch. "I'd best be off, so. I'll see you soon, Emmy!"

"Yeah, bye!" Emmy smiled as her teacher left. She then looked around, but Aurora wasn't there.

"Shit," she muttered. "She must have slipped out while I wasn't looking." Emmy sighed. "Uncle Leon's going to kill me."

* * *

Meanwhile, Aurora was making her way to the school to meet Jai, as planned. She spotted Bronev in a crowd of people and ducked behind some dustbins. She waited for Bronev to walk on before continuing her journey.

"That was too close," she thought.

A few minutes later, she arrived at the school where Jai was waiting for her.

"Good," Jai said as she realised Aurora managed to lose Emmy. "Let's go."

The two walked around the back of the school.

"Jai, I have been feeling a... presence. Like an Azran artefact."

"Very good," Jai said. "I thought you would. There is an Azran artefact hidden somewhere around here, in a hidden chamber. I need you to detect it. Let us walk until you feel its strongest presence.

So they did. Five minutes later, Aurora stopped walking. "Here," she said. "Here is where it is strongest."

"Recite the chant," Jai ordered. "It will reveal itself."

"Er... alright," Aurora said nervously, clearing her throat.

"_El neyo me sala colturo von salaies..."_

As Aurora recited this, the ground began to shake and open up. Aurora stopped and stared at it.

"Keep going," Jai commanded.

"_El veto von sekes noltura vol neces von nancalaein."_

The ground opened up to reveal a staircase. Jai immediately began to descend and beckoned for Aurora to follow.

They descended into the chamber and made their way through many mysterious corridors, encountering many twists and turns. Jai lead the way, as she had obviously been there before. They finally reached a large door. Aurora tried the handle, but the door was locked up tight.

"Now what?" Aurora asked.

Jai reached out and held the door handle firmly. The handle began to light up at her very touch. The door unlocked and Jai opened it. The two entered.

The room was very large, the largest they head encountered so far. The walls and ceiling were covered in Azran inscriptions, which lit up as soon as Aurora entered the room. In the centre was a large pedestal with an unusual artefact on it, one that appeared to be either a large knife or a small sword. It was in a case on the pedestal.

Aurora looked around, taking in her surroundings. This chamber was very similar to the one she had seen in Lake Kodh. She read the writing on the walls.

"_Beware the renaissance artefacts," _she read. _Darkest souls will come to life once more." _She read on. "The walls are telling the story of the queen of ambrosia. How she died and returned as a monster..."

"It is warning people away from it," Jai said. "It is warning them away from this artefact. This is the first step to finding the garden of rebirth." She took the sword from the pedestal and examined it closely. "Read this," Jai said, pointing to the inscription on the blade and handing it to Aurora.

Aurora read it. _"The sword points the way," _she read.

"Yes," Jai said. "This sword is the key to finding the renaissance artefacts, the key to unlocking the gateway to the Grounds of Rebirth, the key to it all. No human must ever touch it, no matter who they are. The lust to bring their loved ones back from the dead is too much for them. Do you understand?

"What do we have to do with this object?" Aurora asked. "We can't just leave it here, can we?"

"No," Jai said. "The humans will discover this place eventually. They have built their school over it. We cannot trust them. This artefact must be moved."

"Where?" Aurora asked.

"I will keep it on me at all times. That way we will know it is safe."

"Alright," Aurora said uncertainly.

"Come," Jai said. "We must return to the house. We must not arouse any more suspicion."

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit," Emmy thought. She was walking up the town looking for Aurora and hoping not to bump into her uncle along the way. "Why did I have to talk to Miss Lordon? Why didn't I just pretend not to know who she was and focus on my job?"

"Emmeline," a voice behind her said, making Emmy jump. She turned around and saw Bronev.

"U-Uncle Leon!" Emmy said, flustered.

"I take it you lost the girl?" he said.

Emmy nodded.

"As did I. What are you doing now?"

"Looking for her."

"No point. I've looked everywhere and I haven't seen hide or hair of either of them. Come; let's just go back to the Triton's place. We must prepare for tonight."

"Yes, Uncle Leon," Emmy said, and followed as he started to make his way back to the house.

"How are you feeling now?" Bronev asked.

"Fine. Just fine," Emmy replied.

"It's almost time for you to take your medicine," Bronev said.

Emmy pulled a face. "I hate those pills," she said. "They make me throw up and feel all weird."

"Really?" Bronev asked. "Define weird."

Emmy paused. "I don't know," she said. "Kind of... dizzy. Like I'm drunk or something."

"So you get high off those pills?" Bronev teased.

"Yeah," Emmy laughed. "But only for a little while, like an hour or something."

"So you weren't high when you were flying this morning?"

"No," Emmy replied. "Well... maybe just a little."

They both laughed as they entered the drive of the estate on which the Tritons lived. They went to number 12 and knocked on the door. This time, Clark answered.

"Why hello, Emmy!" he said, holding out his arms.

Emmy smiled and hugged him. "Hello, Clark. This is my uncle, Leon Bronev."

"It truly is a pleasure to meet a relative of Emmy's," Clark smiled, extending a hand to Bronev.

Bronev shook it.

"Come on in," said Clark. "Everyone else is in the kitchen."

Emmy and Bronev followed Clark into the kitchen, where they found Brenda, Luke, Flora, the professor, and to their surprise, Jai and Aurora as well.

"Hi everyone," Emmy said, taking a seat next to Luke. "Did we miss anything?"

"No," Luke replied. "But mum's just making dinner."

"Oh, do you need any help?" Emmy asked.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Brenda smiled at Emmy. "It's almost ready now. By the way, you'll be sleeping in the living room, will that be alright?"

"That'll be just fine, thank you," Emmy replied. "Where is Leon sleeping?"

"In with you. I'm in the spare room and the professor is in with Luke on a mattress on the floor," Flora replied. "There's a mattress in the living room, so you and Mr. Bronev will have to fight over that."

Emmy and Bronev both laughed at this.

"You take the mattress, Uncle Leon, it'll be better for your back."

"Thank you, Emmeline," Bronev said, stroking her hair affectionately. He leaned in and whispered, "Don't forget your pills after dinner."

"I won't," Emmy promised.

"Good girl." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Dinner's ready!" Brenda announced. "Everyone just help yourselves."

Everyone sat down, apart from Bronev, Brenda and Clark, who just stood as there weren't enough chairs to go around. Luke piled a mountain of mashed potato on his plate and reached for the plate of sliced up beef.

"Are you sure you can manage that, Luke?" Emmy asked.

"Yes, as always, Emmy," Luke said, piling more food onto his plate.

Brenda frowned. "Save some for everyone else, Luke."

"I will." He got this every evening from his mother.

"And you, Emmeline," Bronev said to Emmy, who was putting as much food on her plate as Luke was.

"Yes, Uncle Leon," Emmy said, winking at Luke. They both laughed.

"I bet I can eat all mine before you can eat yours," Luke teased.

Emmy looked up. "Luke Triton, are you challenging me?"

"Maybe," he said slyly.

Clark and Bronev laughed.

"I dare you to challenge me," Emmy said menacingly, knife and fork in hand.

"Go on, then, I challenge you," Luke said, readying his silverware.

"Three," Flora counted. "Two... One... Eat!"

Emmy and Luke dived into their food, both eating as fast as they could without choking. Everyone else laughed at the spectacle before them. Neither of the competitors was chewing their food, they were swallowing it whole.

"How are they doing this without choking?" Aurora asked.

"It's a gift they have," Flora replied, and the two girls laughed.

Jai sat and watched everyone else. She did not eat anything or join in with the laughter. Her thoughts were with the artefact. She ran her fingers over the inscription and read it again. _The sword points the way. _She remembered when her own people discovered the burial ground and its purpose. The mere thought of it sent a chill down her spine.

Bronev looked over at Jai. He studied her expressionless face, her cold eyes, and her pale skin. She looked dead, and yet, somehow... she lived. "Who are you really?" he wondered.

He then looked over at his niece, who was still stuffing her face with food. He knew it was all an act, and that deep down inside, Emmeline was extremely unhappy. Traumatised. And after all she had been through in the past year and a half, he couldn't blame her either. And yet, here she was, putting on a brave face for everyone else's sake. For his sake. "I'm so proud of you," he thought to himself.

Emmy swallowed her last mouthful. "Victory!" she cried, throwing her hands up into the air.

Everyone else laughed again, each only halfway through their food, apart from Jai, who didn't eat anything.

Luke, who was also finished, burped loudly and said, "You only won because I choked halfway through."

Emmy grinned. She then turned to Brenda. "Do you want me to wash up after?"

"Thank you, Emmy. I would really appreciate that," Brenda said, stifling a yawn.

"You go upstairs," Clark said. "I'll call you when we're going to see Vaughan."

"Alright," Brenda said, leaving.

Emmy gathered up the dishes and went to the sink to wash up. Bronev went to help. He rooted around the cupboards until he found a glass and filled it with water. He handed it to Emmy, who took the pills out of her pocket and popped one into her mouth, washing it down with the water. Bronev smiled at Emmy and rubbed her back.

Flora, however, was looking at Jai with a concerned expression on her face. "Uh... are you okay? You didn't eat anything."

Jai didn't reply. She just stared at her lap, her face expressionless.

"Jai?" the professor asked. He went over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Jai shrugged it off.

"She doesn't like to talk," Aurora said. "It is probably best if you leave her be."

"Why don't you talk, Jai?" Luke asked.

Jai glared at her lap.

"You 're annoying her," Aurora said. "You should leave her alone."

"She'll get sick if she doesn't eat," Clark said.

"She doesn't believe it is right to kill animals for food," Aurora said.

"So she's vegetarian?" Emmy asked. "She should have just said so! I'll make her something!" Emmy walked over to Jai and knelt beside her. "What would you like to eat?" she asked gently.

"I don't eat," Jai said.

"But you'll get sick," Emmy said.

"I will eat when and if I choose to do so," Jai said firmly. "But thank you for your kind offer."

"Okay," Emmy said uncertainly. "But if you change your mind, you know where I am."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Emmy went back to the sink and continued with the washing up.

"We have two hours until we have to go and see Vaughan. What are we going to say to him?" Luke asked.

"He will be too angry for you to say anything," Jai replied.

The professor frowned. "And why is that, my dear?"

"I double crossed him. I told him that I would tell him where the Grounds of Rebirth and the artefacts are if he brought me back, when really I never planned to tell him anything of the sort."

"So, why did you promise him this?" the professor asked.

"If I didn't, he wouldn't have attacked this girl to bring me back," Jai replied.

"He killed her to bring you back?!" Luke asked incredulously.

"No. The girl is not dead, merely dormant, while I control her body. But sooner or later, the girl will fight to regain control of her body, which will result in our personalities merging until I choose to leave," Jai explained.

"So, the girl was never really murdered, just attacked?" Layton asked.

"Precisely."

"So, why this girl?" Emmy asked from over at the sink. "Of all the girls in the universe, why this one?"

"Vaughan needed to stun a girl to bring me back," Jai explained, "and she was... just... there. In the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You needed a body to come back to," the professor said. "So Vaughan attacked this girl to hold up his end of the bargain."

Jai nodded.

"What do you know about this man?" Bronev asked.

"His name is Aleks. He wants the Grounds of Rebirth to bring his wife and son back from the dead."

Emmy froze. Bronev sensed this and quickly stepped out in front of her so that no one else could see.

"Oh," Flora said. "That's so sad."

"That doesn't excuse what he's done," Luke said angrily.

"So, do you know how he knows Emmy?" the professor asked.

"No," Jai said. "I didn't intercept his mind; I do not have the power to do that. I used a volunteer body for a short time and made a deal with him, one I never intended to keep. I cannot read minds, though. I do not know who he really is or what his intentions are."

Bronev sighed. "Suppose we'll find out soon enough," he said.

"Tonight," Jai said.

"I hope so," Luke said. "I hope this isn't just a fiendish plot to get us all killed."

"Unknown," Jai said. "But I will protect each and every one of you, no matter what. But what he wants to achieve tonight is a complete mystery to me. He wants to see us, and until tonight, that is all we know."


	6. Gone

Chapter 5 – Gone

"Are you ready?" the professor called up the stairs.

"Yes, Professor!" Luke called from upstairs.

"Good. We will be heading off in a few moments." He turned to Emmy. "Did you call Descole and Celeste?"

Emmy nodded, avoiding his gaze.

The professor looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright, my dear? You look terribly pale."

Emmy looked over at Bronev, who was watching her from a distance. She shook her head.

Bronev walked over to the pair and put his arm gently around Emmy. "Can I talk to you for a moment, my dear?" he asked gently.

Emmy nodded again. Bronev kissed her on the cheek and led her away into the living room.

The professor stared after them for a moment, before being interrupted by Luke bounding down the stairs.

"Sorry, Professor!" Luke said hurriedly, running into the kitchen.

"Something's not right," the professor thought to himself. "Something's wrong with Emmy."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Bronev asked gently, leading Emmy to the sofa.

Emmy sat down and said nothing,

"Come on, Emmeline, you need to talk about these things. Bottling things up never does any good. What's the matter? Is this meeting with Vaughan too much for you?"

Emmy nodded. Tears had already started up in her eyes. "I... I can't do this. It's just... the thought of seeing him again... it's too much. It hurts..."

Bronev looked at her sadly.

"But I have to go! I have to, or the professor will get suspicious, and one thing will lead to another and he'll find out everything!" Emmy burst into tears and started to sob hysterically.

Bronev placed his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly. He stroked her hair gently.

"Shh," he whispered. "Everything will be okay. Everything. You don't have to go. Don't worry."

"B-but..." Emmy trailed off.

"I'll fix it. I have an acquaintance I did a favour for some time ago. I'll get them to... stand in for you tonight."

* * *

"We'd better head off now, or we'll be late," Clark said, checking his watch.

"Nobody does anything drastic," Jai warned. "Leave everything to me. Do not talk to him. Do not look at him. Only speak if he speaks to you first."

"Er... alright," Luke said.

"I'll get Emmy and Mr. Bronev," Flora volunteered, leaving the room. She went to the living room, but it was empty. "Odd," she thought. "They must have gone upstairs." She left the room and started up the stairs just as Emmy and Bronev were making their way down.

"We're just about to go," Flora said.

"We were just about to suggest as much," Emmy smiled. "Right, Uncle Leon?"

"Indeed," Bronev said. "Let's be off."

The three re-entered the kitchen, where everyone else was preparing to depart.

"Right," Luke said determinedly. "Let's see what this man has to say for himself."

* * *

A few minutes later, they arrived outside the forestry, where Descole, Raymond and Celeste were already waiting for them. As they arrived, Celeste looked at Emmy worriedly. She then looked at Bronev, who winked. Celeste's worried look vanished and was replaced with a smile.

"How wonderful to see you all, punctual as always," a slightly muffled voice called from the shadows.

Everyone jumped and spun around to face the person who had addressed them. A man in a V for Vendetta mask stepped out to greet them. He wore a black cloak and a black suit, making him blend in with is surroundings and the white of his mask stand out.

"Oh, for God's sake," Emmy muttered. "Everyone's afraid of him? Really, it just doesn't get any cheesier than this."

Flora buried her face into her sleeve to stop herself from giggling. Luke's mouth quirked, but he didn't make a sound. Bronev and Celeste both sighed heavily. But the professor frowned.

"Who are you?" Clark said loudly, "and what do you want with my son?"

"Be quiet," Jai said. "I told you to let me handle this."

"Clark, please," Brenda whispered, taking her husband's hand. Clark fell silent.

"So, if it isn't the little girl I shot down this afternoon," Vaughan sneered. "Or is it... Jai? Of Birth and Rebirth?"

Jai said nothing. She merely looked on expressionlessly as Vaughan continued on.

"I believe now is the time for you to hold up your end of the bargain. So spill. Tell me everything you know about the Grounds of Rebirth."

"No."

Vaughan frowned from behind his mask. "What do you mean "no"?"

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Emmy snapped. "She said no!"

Vaughan turned to face his newest opponent. Emmy glared as he stared.

"Well, well," he said, smiling from behind his mask. "Look who decided to show her face after all."

Emmy looked bored. "I'm sorry... am I supposed to know you?"

Vaughan laughed maliciously. Emmy laughed back in a sarcastic monotone.

"I suppose you are, considering how we spent the last year and a half together."

"Oh, really?" Emmy asked. "I guess you were so quiet I forgot you were there!"

They both laughed again.

"Uh... Professor? What's going on? Why is Emmy being like this?" Luke asked. "I thought she didn't know Vaughan?"

"I... I don't know, Luke," the professor replied, extremely confused.

Bronev sighed heavily. "That idiot is blowing his cover!" he thought angrily. "Why won't he just shut up and let Jai handle this?"

Jai stepped forward. "You will never know our secrets. You will never get your hands on those renaissance artefacts. Never."

Vaughan turned back to Jai. "I believe that is where you are wrong."

He snapped his fingers and several armed men stepped out from the trees and formed a circle around them. They all proceeded to load up their weapons.

"Lock onto one target only," Vaughan ordered. He pointed at Emmy.

"NO!" Luke screamed. "EMMY!"

"If you do not comply with my demands, your friend here will die."

Descole stepped out in front of Emmy protectively. The professor then stepped out in front of him.

"If you want Emmy," the professor said calmly, "You'll have to get through us first."

"No," Emmy said firmly. "I can handle this." She walked straight up to Vaughan. She leaned in towards him until their noses were almost touching.

"You want to know something?"

Vaughan smirked at her from behind the mask. "Yes."

Emmy smiled. "This is going to hurt quite a bit," she said sweetly.

She kicked him in the crotch and shoved him out of her way, running into the forest. Vaughan slumped over on the ground, groaning and gasping for breath. His men ran after Emmy, opening fire.

"EMMY!" Luke and Flora screamed in unison.

The professor, Jai, Aurora, Clark and Brenda tore off into the forest after the group of armed men. Luke and Flora followed suit. Bronev knelt down next to the groaning man and pulled the mask off of his face. Celeste gasped and Bronev looked shocked.

"WH-what? Jorge?"i

Jorge whimpered. "I didn't mean to do it! He made me! He threatened Antonio and Carla! He has been keeping me against my own will for weeks! Please help me!"

"What is going on here?" Descole muttered to Raymond, who shrugged.

"B-But..." Celeste trailed off.

"If you're not Vaughan," Bronev asked, "then where is he?"

* * *

The professor and co. ran as fast as they could. They ran through the trees and after the group of men.

Flora panted, gasping for air, and quickly fell behind. She stopped and leaned on a nearby tree. She took a few minutes out, trying to get her breath back. "I hate running," she said to herself.

She looked around. The professor and co. were long gone by now, and she had no chance of catching up. She spotted something move out of the corner of her eye and turned to get a better view. She gasped.

Emmy had jumped down from a tree and was running across the forest and in the opposite direction of the group. Flora sighed and tore off after her. "I really, really hate running," she thought desperately.

"Emmy" ran to "her" next destination as fast as "she" could. She quickly exited the forest and headed towards the Beachwood estate. "She" ran as fast as "she" could and didn't bother to look back. "She" arrived at the estate and headed toward the back of the estate where there was an alleyway. "She" stopped there and waited.

Flora followed Emmy into an alleyway. She gasped when she saw her. Emmy had taken her yellow jacket off and had pulled her face off too, revealing her true identity. Flora couldn't believe her eyes. "D-D-Don P-Paolo?!"

* * *

Emmy (the real Emmy) was lying down on the couch, thinking. "I hope Uncle Leon's okay" she thought. Her thoughts turned to Vaughan. She felt sickened at the thought of him. At the thought of what he had done to her... she felt filthy. Contaminated.

"I need a shower," Emmy decided.

She got up and ran upstairs and into the bathroom. She shut the door and bolted it. She then stripped off and got in the shower, turning on the water but not bothering to turn up the heat. She felt the icy cold water trickle down her broken ribs and pour down her bruised and scratched up arms and legs. It was bliss. She closed her eyes slowly and leaned against the cold tiles on the wall. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. "When will I stop feeling this pain?" she asked herself. "When will I feel better and be happy again? When will he leave me alone?" Her mind was filled with questions, all of which held the same answer. "If he was dead... I'd finally be free."

Emmy sighed again. "Sitting around feeling sorry for myself all day won't help anything," she thought. "I have to go and help Uncle Leon. Even if that means facing him..." she took a shaky breath and opened the shower door, turning off the water on her way out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it carefully around herself.

"Hello, Emmeline."

Emmy jumped and turned to face the man, who was standing in front of the sink. "No," she thought, panicking, "No, no, no." She started shaking.

Vaughan smiled. "You didn't think you'd get away from me, did you?"

Emmy shook even more violently at the sound of his voice. "P... please..." she began.

"Come on now, Emmeline," he said, walking towards her.

"D-Don't come any closer..."

"I promise I won't hurt you. I only want to get a look at you."

Vaughan was only feet away from Emmy.

Emmy began to cry. "P-Please... Please d-don't touch me..." she whimpered.

Vaughan reached her and placed his hand on her cheek.

"Don't touch me!" she cried.

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to take you home. I want us to be a family again, just you and me—"

"NO! PLEASE, NO! I DON'T WANT TO - PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME, NOT AGAIN! STOP TOUCHING ME!" she screamed. "I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT – YOU WANT TO H-HURT ME AND L-LOCK ME UP AGAIN, BUT IT WON'T WORK, I WON'T GO!" Emmy collapsed onto the floor and screamed.

"Now, Emmeline," Vaughan warned. "If you don't stop screaming, I may have to make you."

"NO! NO, DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Vaughan removed a bottle of clear liquid and a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and poured a generous amount of liquid onto the cloth. He held it out to Emmy.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! I WANT LEON, I WANT MY UNCLE LEON!"

Vaughan grabbed Emmy by the hair and stuffed the cloth into her mouth.

Emmy cried out and writhed, but soon she was still and motionless, knocked out from the liquid.

"Good," Vaughan said. "That'll keep her quiet until we get home." He leaned down and picked Emmy up off the floor, carrying her out of the room on his shoulder.

* * *

"Shit," one of Vaughan's men said. "We've lost her."

"Damn it," another said. "We're dead meat now."

The first man sighed heavily. "C'mon," he called to the rest of the men. "Let's just go. She's not here."

The men grumbled and groaned as they made their way out of the forest out of the back way. Layton and co. sighed with relief.

"Thank God they're gone," Luke sighed. "But what of Emmy?"

"I don't know, Luke," the professor sighed. "But perhaps she went home?"

"Hmm," Brenda said. "Flora, did you see— Flora?"

But Flora was gone.

"Oh," Clark said. "Oh no. She must have fallen behind."

"Oh, God. Flora? FLORA!"

They all went back to the entrance where they saw Bronev and Celeste heading back to the estate, supporting Jorge.

"Wait! Bronev!" Layton called.

The three turned. Bronev looked angry.

"Come here."

Luke ran over.

"Grab him."

Luke supported Jorge in Bronev's place as Bronev tore off up the road and into the entrance of Beachwood. The professor, Flora, Aurora, Jai, Clark and Brenda all followed suit.

"I just hope I'm not too late," Bronev thought, panic-stricken.

He ran into number 12 and banged on the door. "Emmeline? Emmeline, open the door!"

There was no answer. Brenda ran up with the key and handed it over to Bronev. He unlocked the door and ran into the living room. Emmy was nowhere to be seen. There was note on the table.

The professor ran up to number 12 and was about to enter the open door when he heard his name being called.

"Professor!" Flora yelled. "Don Paolo is in that alleyway! They've got Emmy! Quick!"

The professor dashed off in the direction of the alley, but it was too late. A black Hummer drove past them and out of the entrance. The professor saw Emmy's face slumped against the window of the back seat, unconscious.

"Oh, God," Flora began, tears starting up in her eyes.

"Layton!" Bronev yelled, running towards him. "They got her!"

"Yes, we saw them go past with her in the car!" the professor exclaimed.

Bronev thrust Vaughan's letter at Layton. Layton grabbed it and read it as Luke, Celeste and Jorge, who had gotten his balance back, hurried towards him.

"We saw the car," Celeste began, but stopped when she saw the paper in the professor's hand. "What does that say?"

The professor handed it to her. She read it shocked.

_Bronev,_

_I've got your girl. You've got mine. Meet me at the C.C. tomorrow at 12.30 and we'll trade. Jai for Emmeline. _

_See you then._

_J. Vaughan._

* * *

i Jorge is an old school friend of Emmy's. He is not Vaughan, but he was forced to get into that disguise to throw them off the scent.


	7. Rescue

Chapter 6 – rescue

Carla sighed impatiently. She glared at the luggage checkout, waiting impatiently for her bag. She looked over at Antonio, who was on his way back from the vending machine carrying two coffees and a few bags of peanuts. He sat down next to her and sighed also.

Carla checked her watch. Quarter past four in the morning. She sighed again, thinking of her nice warm bed at home in sunny California. "Why did Emmy call us here?" she thought. "She knew that I would have to take the boys with me. Why the hell did she put us in this situation?"

Antonio turned to face his wife. "I wonder what kind of trouble Emmy has gotten herself into this time," he said, sighing.

Carla took his hand. "There has to be a reason. She wouldn't do this unless she really needed the help. I think this is bad."

"Yes. Where are the boys?"

"They're in the lobby, probably messing with the porter," Carla replied, smiling to herself.

Antonio smiled too. "Yeah."

He then spotted their bags on the checkout and grabbed them quickly. "Let's get out of here and into a motel," he said. "I'm sick of this place."

"I'm sick of this country, and I've only been here for about two hours," Carla retorted and they both laughed.

"We'd better get the boys and get out of here," Antonio said, and they both got up and left.

* * *

"Eh, Xavier, I don't think this is such a good idea," Aldaz said in his unnaturally deep voice.

Xavier turned to grin at his little brother. "I disagree, compadre. This is way more fun than that stupid plane ride."

"Yeah, but—" Aldaz began, but Xavier cut across him.

"And anyway, that guy was disrespecting you back on the plane. Are you gonna let him get away with that?"

Well..." Aldaz trailed off.

"Exactly. No one disrespects a Van De Garde and gets away with it. Especially not a fat jerk like him. And knowing fat jerks, he's probably headed for the vending machine right... now!"

And sure enough, there was the portly gentleman that the two boys had met on the plane.

"Right," Xavier said, "wait until he puts his money in, then pull the plug. And when he leaves, plug it back in and free dinner for you!"

"But this is a pathetic prank," Aldaz pointed out. "I'm sure you could think of better things to do with your time than this. Why don't you... collect stamps instead?"

The man put his money into the machine and Xavier reached over and pulled the plug.

The machine died as the bag of peanuts was halfway through coming out. The man punched the machine, but to no avail. He then proceeded to kick and scream at it.

"Ay bosura," Aldaz said, shaking his head and looking disgusted.

"Some people have vicious tempers, no?" Xavier said, grinning.

"You're pathetic."

"Pathetically brilliant, I know, I know," Xavier laughed, ruffling his brother's hair. "I saw the way he was with that vending machine in California, so I thought I'd do an instant replay."

Aldaz sighed. "You're such a jerk."

"I know you are," Xavier replied, glaring at the man, who was retreating from the machine. "Imagine screaming at a poor child for spilling a tiny bit of water on you!"

"I poured it over his head," Aldaz explained.

"What? You told me it was an accident!"

"He touched Carla."

Xavier froze. "WH-what!" he choked. "He did—"

But Xavier was cut off by the sound of the vending machine falling over. The glass cover smashed and people from all directions, mainly children and fat people, ran over to steal the goods. A few security guards ran onto the scene. "Who's responsible for this?" he yelled.

"Ah," Xavier said softly. "This is our queue to leave. Come, Aldaz!" and he ran off. Aldaz tore off after him.

"There's Carla! Quick!"

The two ran up to her and she frowned. "What have you done?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Xavier said, putting on his innocent face.

"Xavi broke the vending machine."

"Traitor," Xavier whispered, nudging Aldaz in the ribs.

Carla rolled her eyes. "C'mon. We're going to a motel, then to find Emmy in the morning."

Carla's phone rang. Carla sighed and pulled it out of her pocket.

"It's Emmy!" she said and quickly answered. "Hello?" she asked.

Carla heard a groan from the other side of the phone.

"Emmy? Are you okay?"

Silence.

"Emmy?" Carla was worried now.

"What is it? What is she saying?" Antonio asked.

"Nothing. She's groaning. I think she's in pain," Carla replied, biting her lip.

Aldaz looked at Xavier and he shrugged.

"... Help... me..." came a voice on the other side of the phone.

"Emmy? Can you hear me?"

"V... Vaughan... has...has..."

"Vaughan has what?" Carla asked. She started shaking.

"... me. He... he got me..."

"Oh, shit!" Carla cried.

"What?" Antonio asked, startled.

"He got her! Vaughan got her!" Carla cried. "Emmy, did you call anyone else?"

"Leon... no answer..."

"What's her number?" Aldaz asked, pulling out his phone. "I have a tracking device on here, I can get a location and we can give it to the cops."

"No time," Antonio said.

"I agree," Carla said. "We'll need to go after her. Her number is 004477075025. Get a location and we'll go after her."

* * *

Flora awoke with a start. She just had an awful nightmare about Emmy. She got up to get a drink. As she passed Luke's room, she heard sniffing. She peeked in and saw Luke curled up under his covers, crying. Her heart sank. She looked over to the professor's mattress, but he wasn't there. "He must be downstairs," she thought.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw him sitting at the table with Bronev, Descole and Raymond. They all looked up when she entered.

"Why aren't you in bed, my dear?" the professor asked.

"I can't sleep. I'm worried..." she felt tears starting in her eyes, but blinked them back. She had to be strong, for the professor and for Emmy.

"We will find her," Descole reassured her. "Don't worry."

"Descole—" Layton began.

"Please, Layton, call me Desmond. We are all on the same side now. I don't think there should be any bad blood between us anymore. We should forget all of that and move on." Desmond held put his hand to the professor. Layton shook it, surprised.

Bronev looked at them silently. He then looked away and returned to thinking about Emmy.

"She will be fine," he said. "She has been through much worse than this and has always been fine. Trust me."

"So, how do we go about getting her back?" Flora asked.

"We don't know where he's headed with her, or what he plans to do with her when he gets there. I suggest we wait until this "trade" and figure out what do when he comes with her," Desmond replied.

"I suppose that's our best course of action," the professor agreed, rubbing his eyes.

"But we cannot let him get Jai," Bronev pointed out, "or he'll get the artefacts, and then we'll all be in danger."

"This is a difficult situation, I know, but we must keep a clear mind at times like this," the Professor said calmly. "Why don't we talk to Jai, and see if there's anything she can do for us?"

"Yes," Bronev agreed. "She appears to be the expert on the subject. Flora, get her down here at once."

"Yes, sir," Flora said, leaving the room and making her way upstairs.

* * *

She arrived at the spare room, where she, Aurora and Jai were sleeping that night. She opened the door quietly, so as not to disturb Aurora, and approached Jai carefully.

"Jai?" Flora asked quietly. "Mr. Bronev wants to speak with you. Can you come downstairs with me?"

No answer.

"Jai?" Flora shook her gently. She then pulled the covers back, only to find the bed stuffed with pillows.

"What the hell?" Flora exclaimed to herself.

* * *

"What do you intend to achieve out of threatening that poor girl?" Desmond demanded. "It seems to me that she is as much in the dark about Vaughan's intentions as we are!"

"I'm not going to threaten her," Bronev said coolly. "I'm merely going to check that she is on our side, that's all."

"Well, good luck with that, because she's gone," Flora said, returning from upstairs.

The professor, Desmond and Bronev all froze.

"WHAT!"

Jai kept walking in the direction that she felt the captors went in. She could sense their presence in the direction of an old warehouse on the outskirts of town, and assumed that Emmy was there. "I must get Emmy back," she thought. "Or she will be put in terrible danger. We all will."

Jai arrived at the old warehouse. She hid behind an old tree as a two men, obviously on surveillance duties, chatted amongst themselves.

"So, do you know what the boss is planning tomorrow, because sure as hell I don't."

"I think he's going to try to double cross them, like that girl did to him," the other man replied. "He'll probably get that Don Paolo guy to disguise himself as Altava and send him back in exchange for the girl. Then God knows what he'll do to the girl to get info on the Grounds of Rebirth."

Jai smiled. This information was all she needed to aid her in her decision of what to do next. "If he doesn't have the real Emmy," Jai thought, "he'll have nothing to threaten us with." Jai had a plan.

* * *

Emmy's head was banging. "Stupid chloroform," she thought miserably. "Where am I?"

She sat up again and looked around the dank smelly room once more. "Whatever he's up to, I wish he'd hurry up and do it and put me out of my misery. It stinks in here."

She wondered what Carla planned to do. "I hope she can get me out. And bring Uncle Leon." She wanted Bronev. She wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay. She was scared.

She heard footsteps approaching the cell and her heart raced. "Please don't be him, please don't be him," she begged quietly. "Anyone but him."

The door opened, and a huge muscular man stepped in. He was about six foot fix and had blonde hair. Emmy recognised him immediately.

"V-Vladimir?" Emmy exclaimed, hardly able to believe it.

"Da. I work for Vaughan. So does Katarina. Why are you here? Did you join too?" he asked.

"No, he kidnapped me."

"Oh." Vladimir looked sad. "I think he sent me to beat you up. Get information, like."

"Oh." Emmy sighed. "Sorry, Vlad, but I'm really not in the mood to be beaten up today. I've been chloroformed, so my head is banging."

"I see." Vladimir paused. "Can you hear something?"

There was a clanging noise from up above.

"Yeah," Emmy said. "I hear it."

There was a bang as the vent's door flew off. Someone jumped down and landed right next to Vladimir.

"J-Jai?" Emmy asked in disbelief.

"How did you get past security?" Vladimir asked, intrigued.

"I jumped down," Jai replied. "From heaven."

Emmy and Vladimir laughed at this.

"Come on," Jai said. "We must find a way out. Is he a friend of yours?" she gestured to Vladimir.

"Um..."

"Yes." Vladimir went into the storage cupboard in the corner and pulled out a ladder. "Go back out the way you came. If anyone asks me, I'll say you were already gone."

"Thanks, Vlad!" Emmy said, clapping him on the back.

"This is just a one off," Vladimir warned. "Next time, I will kill you."

"Noted." Emmy followed Jai, who had already gone up the ladder and was waiting for Emmy in the vent.

After Emmy left, he got the ladder and put it back in the cupboard. He then sighed.

"Katarina's going to kill me."

* * *

Emmy winced. She hated tight spaces, especially ones like this. She sniffed the air and pulled a rotten face. "What is that smell?" she asked.

"It's me," Jai answered. "I came in through the sewage system."

"What?!" Emmy exclaimed. "And are we leaving through there?"

"Yes," Jai replied. "No one else can stand the smell, so they never guard there. It's our "ticket out of here" is your people say."

Emmy sighed. "It's going to be a long night," she said exasperatedly.

"Look ahead, there is a light," Jai said.

"I know it's not that bad really, I'm just being stupid. And I can always go for a shower when I get back," Emmy said, smiling.

"Well, that, and there really is an actual light ahead. Look." Jai pointed.

There was indeed a faint glow up ahead.

"Ah," Emmy said awkwardly. "Right."

"Keep going straight ahead, then there's a bit of a drop down into the... what's the word you people use here? Shite?"

"Indeed," Emmy said, wrinkling her nose. "I can smell it from here."

"Right, here we go," Jai said. "Brace yourself."

Then she was gone.

Emmy blinked. "Jai?" she called.

"Down here!"

Emmy looked down and laughed out loud when she saw Jai, standing directly below her, covered in leavings.

"Amusing as this may be now, I believe your smile will disappear in a mere five seconds," Jai replied.

"yeah." Emmy braced herself and jumped. She landed with a splat in a huge pile of dung and squealed.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeewwww!"

Jai smirked. "I did warn you."

"Shut up!" Emmy scoffed.

"Strange, it was the funniest thing in the world when it happened to me, and yet it is a catastrophe when it happens to you," Jai pointed out. "Your race is clearly a lacking one in sympathy for the feelings of others."

"Says you, stealing other people's bodies for your own ends!" Emmy pointed out.

"No. I asked and she said yes. She was very sympathetic towards my situation actually, unlike others of her kind. And I'll have you know I was very sympathetic towards her as well. Why, I stayed with her right up until the coroners van came."

"Right," Emmy said, feeling a little awkward.

"This scenario proves my point of bad things only being funny if they don't happen to you," Jai said. "And on that note, we move on. There is a pipe here that will take us to the sluice gate, and from there we should be able to leave, provided there are no guards there, of course. Come."

And with that, Jai set off down through the pipe.

Emmy winced again. "I really hate tight spaces," she thought as she set off after Jai.

* * *

"That'll be thirty two seventy six, please."

Carla handed the driver two twenty euro notes. "Keep the change."

"Thanks, love."

Carla, Antonio and the two boys got out of the taxi, grabbing their bags on their way out. Carla stared at the abandoned warehouse as they taxi drove away. "Are you sure this is it?" she asked Aldaz.

"Positive. This is the exact location that the signal from Emmy's phone was coming from. So, what is your plan?"

Carla paused. "Well... I don't exactly have one. We can't just barge in there, Vaughan is dangerous. You have no idea what that man did to Emmy last time. She's still a mess from it. We can only hope she is unharmed."

"We have to get in there," Antonio said firmly. "I suggest we get in through the sewage. It may not be pretty, but it's the only place that is always left unguarded. Trust me, it works every time."

"Okay," Carla agreed. She turned to Aldaz and Xavier. "Stay here. Don't move. If anyone asks, your mom is on her way to pick you up from the disco up the road. Got it?"

They both nodded.

"Good. C'mon, Antonio, let's go." She and Antonio left.

Aldaz turned to Xavier. "Are we really gonna stay here and wait?"

Xavier shook his head. "Hell no. We need a plan. Fast."

* * *

The sluice gate flew open and Emmy clambered out, looking repulsed and exhausted.

"Uugh! Never again! Never ever again!"

Jai smiled to herself. She then froze, as did Emmy.

They were surrounded by men, each armed with a gun and looked ready to shoot.

"Sorry, wrong room," Jai said quickly, grabbing Emmy and dragging her back into the sluice gate, shutting it behind her.

The men looked at each other, extremely confused.

"Now what?" Emmy asked. "There must be at east fifty of them. There's no way we can escape."

"If we hide here, they'll think that we've gone out the other pipe and into the bathroom, thus exiting that way, and they'll leave this post open for us to escape," Jai said, dragging Emmy in behind a huge pile of dung.

Seconds later, the gate opened and a man stepped in, wrinkling his nose. "Ugh. They must have gone through the other way. They're headed for the bathroom. C'mon, let's get 'em!"

"A few of us will stay here, just in case they double back," another man said. "That'll have all the bases covered."

"Right," the first man said. "You, Donny and Mike will stay here, Jimmy, Tim and I will go to the bathroom, John, Tommy and Joey can go back to the cell and the rest of you go back to your original posts. C'mon, action stations!"

The men ran off to obey orders.

"Oh dear," Jai said with a frown. "It appears that they are smarter than I anticipated. We won't get out of here without a fight. But fighting three is better than fighting fifty, I suppose."

"You're right there," Emmy agreed.

"Right," Jai said, gesturing to the gate. "On three?"

"One... two... THREE!" Emmy and Jai kicked the gate open and launched themselves at the men, knocking them to the ground.

Emmy punched one of them in the face and then in the gut. She jumped to her feet and knocked out another with a well placed roundhouse kick, knocking a few of his teeth out in the process. Meanwhile, Jai had one of them pinned to the ground, with one foot on his hand and the other on his crotch. The man was squealing with agony and begging for her to let him go with his privates intact.

But the first man Emmy had punched had slowly gotten up off the ground and had proceeded to grab Emmy from behind and choked her. Emmy gagged, gasping for air. She tried to cry out as she felt a blade being thrust into her right side. He then threw her onto the ground and kicked her in the teeth. Emmy looked up, slightly dazed, and to her shock and dismay, Vladimir looked down at her sadly.

"I'm sorry Emmy, but I did warn you. I will have to kill you." He grabbed her by the shirt and punched her repeatedly in the face, hitting her over and over until her entire face had swollen up and began to bleed. He didn't stop for a moment. He just kept hitting her.

Jai, who had just stomped on her victim's crotch and also kicked him in the ribs, noticed Emmy was being hammered and quickly climbed onto the roof. She jumped off and landed on Vladimir's shoulders.

Vladimir gagged as Jai choked him with all her might, hanging on as tightly as she could while his face turned red, then purple, slowly to blue. He collapsed on top of her and she was forced to let go. She squirmed out from underneath him and checked his neck for a pulse.

"Still alive," she thought as she felt a heartbeat. She turned to the man who Emmy had roundhouse kicked and realised he was stirring. She knelt in front of him, grabbed his shirt and upper cutted him in the face, knocking him out once more.

She then turned to Emmy. Emmy was laying flat on the ground, her entire face extremely swollen. Her eyes were swollen shut and she was grunting and groaning for help. Jai knelt next to her. She placed one arm around Emmy's back and the other around the back of her knees and slowly lifted her up into her arms and carried her away.

"Uugh... uuugghh..." Emmy groaned.

"Shh," Jai said gently. "It's alright. I'll get you out of here. Did he just get your face? Where else does it hurt?"

"My...my side... I think... I think he stabbed me..."

Jai could feel the blood on her hands. "Everything will be alright. I'll get you home. Don't worry."

"I thought... he was... my... my f-friend..." Emmy began to cry. "We've... kn-known each other... since we were... li-little... and..."

"Shh. Try not to speak. Save your energy. We're almost clear," Jai said, looking around for signs of life. "Uh-oh." She saw two figures approaching. "Shit."

One of the figures looked like a woman's silhouette and the other a man. As they approached the light, Jai saw that they both had black hair and dark skin and were both dressed in black leather jackets and jeans.

"C-Carla..." Emmy said.

"Emmy!" Carla and Antonio ran over as quickly as they could and looked at Emmy with worried expressions on their faces.

"Oh, God, what happened to her?" Carla asked. "You're both covered in blood and..." she sniffed, "... shit... what happened?"

"I'll explain later," Jai said quickly. "We must leave at once. They already know that Emmy is gone."

Suddenly, fireworks and other explosives went off in the background and the warehouse quickly caught fire. Many men and other figures ran out screaming. Two of them approached the group.

"What the hell have you two done?!" Carla yelled, outraged.

"You didn't seriously expect us to just sit there and wait, did you?" Xavier yelled over the commotion. "C'mon, we've gotta go now!"

"We'll go back to the Triton's place," Jai ordered. "Number 12, Beachwood estate."

"I'll call a cab," Antonio said. "And an ambulance. I don't think Emmy can hold out for too much longer."

"I'll get the ambulance," Carla said. "And I'll go with her. You take the boys and this girl back."

"Right."

"Can I have an ambulance please...?"

Jai walked out of the gate of the warehouse, carrying Emmy to the pavement, with Aldaz and Xavier following. She then laid Emmy down on the ground. She beckoned Xavier over.

"Elevate her feet," she instructed. "We need to get blood flow to her head. You talk to her, keep her awake," she said to Aldaz. Aldaz nodded.

Jai took off the uniform jumper she was wearing and pressed it firmly over Emmy's stab wound.

Aldaz cleared his throat. "Emmy... please stay awake. You're doing so well. You're so brave..."

Emmy gave him a small smile. "Thank... you..." she croaked.

Aldaz smiled back. "Everything will be okay. I promise. We're getting help and you'll be in hospital soon. Everything's gonna be just fine."

"No... hospill..."

"What?" Aldaz asked.

"No... hospill... hate... hospills..."

"Sorry Emmy, but you have to," Aldaz said.

Carla and Antonio ran over.

"What's her condition?" Carla asked Jai.

"Very unstable. I think she will black out very soon. You need to keep her awake. Keep her talking."

"Leon... want... Leon..."

"Your uncle will meet us at the hospital," Carla said softly, handing her phone to Antonio. "Call him," she whispered.

"Leon... I love you Leon..."

Carla stroked Emmy's hair.

"The ambulance is coming," Xavier said.

The faint sound of a siren approached them and an ambulance pulled up near them. A number of paramedics ran over with a stretcher.

A doctor leaned over Emmy. "What is your name, miss?" she asked.

"How is knowing her name gonna make her better?" Xavier snapped.

The doctor ignored him. "Where does it hurt? How would you describe the pain on a scale of one to ten?"

"... Hurts..." Emmy groaned.

"I know it hurts, but how would you rate it on a scale of—"

"Why don't you just take her to the hospital, to a doctor who actually knows what they're doing, and stop asking her stupid questions?" Jai asked.

The doctor glared at Jai. "Get her on the stretcher and into the ambulance, please."

The paramedics rushed over and picked Emmy up, gently placing her onto the stretcher. Jai allowed a paramedic to continue applying pressure to Emmy's wound. They rushed her into the ambulance. Carla followed and sat on a bench in the ambulance beside Emmy. A paramedic shut the doors and the ambulance sped away.

Aldaz stared after it as their taxi arrived. Jai and Xavier got in. Antonio placed a hand on Aldaz's shoulder. "C'mon, kiddo. We gotta go," Antonio said gently.

"Is Emmy gonna be okay?" Aldaz asked.

"Sure," Antonio said gently, squeezing Aldaz's shoulder. "But we've gotta be strong. C'mon, let's go."

The two got into the car and left.

* * *

Bronev sat alone in the kitchen. Desmond, Raymond, Layton and Flora had all decided to turn in at last. He finally had time to himself, to think. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He sighed and took it out. Carla's name was up on the screen. He answered it.

"Hello?"

"We've got Emmy. She's hurt."

"Antonio? What do you mean she's hurt? Did Vaughan do this to her?"

"I'm not sure. We just found her like that. A girl was carrying her away. They were in a warehouse."

Bronev paused. "Which hospital are they going to?"

There was a pause while Antonio enquired about this with a paramedic.

"C.U.H."

"I'm on my way."

"Okay. See you later." Antonio hung up.

Bronev dialled another number.

"Taxi, please."


	8. The Morning After

Chapter 7 – The Morning After

Layton woke up to the sound of Luke's snores and to the blinding light seeping in through the gap in Luke's curtains. He sighed, remembering the events of last night and how Emmy was still in captivity. He thought of Bronev and what he was currently going through.

"I can tell he cares very deeply for Emmy," the professor thought to himself. "But I can't shake the feeling that something is off with those two."

He decided to get up and see Bronev, and also to check if anything had been heard of Emmy's whereabouts.

He sat up and began to get dressed. He looked over at Luke, who was still snoring his head off. Layton smiled. He was glad that his apprentice was alright; despite everything he had been through in the past few weeks. "Beneath it all, he's a tough lad," the professor told himself. "He'll be fine."

The professor descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, where Flora was waiting for him, making tea and toast for everyone. "Good morning, Professor!" she said brightly.

"Good morning Flora. Did you sleep well?"

"No," Flora said. "I don't think anyone did. I heard Luke crying last night, when you were in the kitchen."

Layton sighed. "Well, I'm sure we'll hear from Emmy soon, and she'll be alright."

He was trying to convince himself of that more than Flora. Layton couldn't shake the feeling that things were different this time and that there was something deeply wrong with Emmy. He suddenly remembered Bronev's words the previous day, before they set off in the plane: _"I'm worried about Emmeline. I think she knows Vaughan. He... he did some... things to her, when she was...was little. She... she's terrified of him. But... but I don't think she knows it's him yet. When she finds out that it is... well, who knows how she'll react?"_

"So, what's the plan Professor?" Flora asked.

"But the fact remains that Emmy knows Vaughan," Layton thought. "Whether she is aware that it is the man she knows or not, she is connected to him. He wants her, to hurt her or kill her is unknown as of yet, but what does this all have to do with the Grounds of Rebirth?"

"Professor?" Flora asked.

"He did things to her when she was little... what is that supposed to mean? Was she the victim of abuse? Did he hurt her? Emmy seemed off before we left to see him yesterday, but when we got there, the two were laughing and joking like old friends." Layton remembered the conversation that they had:

"_I'm sorry... am I supposed to know you?"_

_Vaughan laughed maliciously. Emmy laughed back in a sarcastic monotone._

"_I suppose you are, considering how we spent the last year and a half together."_

"_Oh, really?" Emmy asked. "I guess you were so quiet I forgot you were there!"_

_They both laughed again._

"Emmy was terrified before we left, but she went away with Bronev and two minutes later she was fine! How odd..." Layton smiled. He had it.

"Professor?" Flora said a little louder so that the professor could actually hear her over his crowded thoughts.

"Oh ... yes, my dear?" the professor said, coming out of his trance.

"Are you okay? You seemed a bit distant there."

"Yes. I'm fine. I was just... mulling a few things over."

"So how do we go about this "trade"?" Jai came back by the way, and she brought some people with her, friends of Emmy's joining up with the resistance, apparently. And Bronev's gone."

Layton paused, confused. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I got up at about five, and he wasn't there. Jai was up, though, and she said that resistance members came last night, they were in the living room and Bronev was gone. I don't think Jai even slept last night. She was a bit shaky when I spoke to her."

"Where is Jai?" the professor asked.

"She went out for a stroll, but she promised to be back soon. The guests in the living room are still asleep, but I'll wake them for breakfast in a minute. It is nine o'clock now, and the trade is at twelve thirty."

"Right," the professor said, picking up his teacup and downing its contents in three gulps. He crammed his toast in his mouth and ran out the back door. Flora stared after him, confused.

"He's definitely up to something," she said to herself.

* * *

Layton ran out of the estate and onto the road. He saw Jai some distance down the road, looking around. Layton ran up to her.

"Jai! Good to see you, my dear. Have you seen Bronev by any chance?"

"He's in the hospital."

Layton froze. "What do you mean by that?"

"I found Emmy last night. We got into a fight with some guards and she got hurt. She's in hospital now and Bronev went up last night with her things. Carla De La Vega, a friend of Emmy's, is also there."

"So wait... Emmy is no longer in Vaughan's clutches, correct?"

"Correct. But she was in a critical condition, last I heard. You may want to go up there and see her. Please report back with her condition. I will take care of things here until you return."

"Thank you," the professor said, turning to leave.

"Go to Celeste. She has hired a car and will be going to see Emmy anyway. You can get a lift with her."

"Thank you." Layton left.

Jai looked around. There was no one in sight, as the school had been closed due to the murder that had taken place the previous day. She felt something stir inside of her. She felt her chest, alarmed. She suddenly heard a voice inside her head.

"Jai... where am I?"

Jai shook her head, trying to get rid of the voice.

"Jai... what have you done to me? Why can't I feel anything? This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Shut up!" Jai hissed.

"I want my body back! I miss my family! You never told me that I was going to die, you bitch!"

"But you're not dead!" Jai said, outraged.

"I'm dead and my poor family can't bury me! I only wanted to help you stop that freak from hurting people and all I get in return is shit!"

"Just stick with it!" Jai thought sharply. "It'll all be over soon! I'll go back where I came from and you'll go back where you came from! You'll get your family back and your life back! Just let me do this."

"Listen to yourself! Just let _me_ do this! _I'll _go back where _I_ came from! You only ever think about yourself!"

Jai froze. "I'm doing this for everyone's good. Not my own, but the others. Emmy. Bronev. Aleks. The Grounds of Rebirth ruined all of their lives."

"Including mine."

Jai sighed. "I know. And I'm sorry. But you were there, in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But all I wanted was a box of chips! With cheese on top!"

Jai sighed again. "Please. Look, how about we have a compromise. I'll control the body until this whole trade thing is over with, then when I give the all clear, you can take control. I'll come back again if and when I'm needed. Deal?"

Jai heard a sigh in her head. "Deal."

"It'll be over soon. So long as we get Vaughan in and away from those artefacts, everything will be fine."

The voice was gone. Jai smiled.

"I'll be home again soon," Jai thought. "I've just got one job left."

* * *

"Emmeline? Emmeline? Wake up, dear. Everything is alright. You're in the hospital. I'm here, don't worry."

Bronev stroked Emmy's hair as she moaned slightly.

"That's right," Bronev said softly. "Wake up now. We need to talk to you about last night. The police are here. I can get them to come back later, if you feel that you're not ready."

Emmy nodded. Bronev waved at the police to leave and they nodded.

"We'll be back at around three," one cop said. "Just call us if you need anything." The left.

"Uncle Leon?"

"Yes dear?"

"Why can't I open my eyes?"

Bronev sighed. "You were badly beaten, my dear. Your eyes are swollen shut. The swelling should go down in a few days, but for now, you're temporarily blinded."

"What happened?" Emmy asked groggily. "I remember getting out of the cell with Jai, and going through the sluice gate, but I was fighting Vladimir and he was hitting me and—"

"Vladimir?" Bronev asked, confused. "Why were you fighting Vladimir? He's on our side."

"But ... he said he joined Vaughan's side, and so did Katarina, and he let me out of the cell, but when he found me and Jai at the sluice gate, he said that he had to kill me and he choked me and kicked me and he wouldn't stop punching me..." Emmy began to cry again.

Bronev stroked her hair some more. He was shocked. He couldn't believe that Vladimir would do something so horrific to Emmy. He had been such a loyal friend to her for so many years. Why would he turn on her now?

"How did I get out of there?" Emmy asked.

Bronev smiled. "Jai saved you. She carried you away and she and Carla got you to the hospital before you lost too much blood from your stab wound."

"Oh." Emmy felt her side and there was indeed a deep gash where Vladimir had stabbed her.

"Vladimir won't hurt you again. He's in police custody, along with about forty others. Many of Vaughan's men escaped, but we got a large bulk of them."

"Okay."

"Vladimir was pretty badly hurt when the police got to him, though. Do you know how that happened?" Bronev asked.

Emmy frowned, trying to remember. "I punched him in the face and stomach, but that's all I was able to do. But I think Jai got him to stop hitting me. I... I can't really remember..."

"That's alright, my dear," Bronev said gently. "You've done very well. Did... did Vaughan hurt you at all? Did he say anything?"

"No." Emmy sniffed, about to cry again. "He... he came in, when I was in the shower. He said... that he wanted me to go home with him and we could be a family again. I was scared... I screamed... he chloroformed me... everything's a bit hazy after that. I tried to call you, but you didn't answer, so I called Carla. She answered and she managed to track me down. I don't remember seeing Vaughan at all in the cell. He wasn't there."

"I see." Bronev stood up. "You rest easy, now. I'll get you some breakfast. Do you want me to send Carla in? She's dying to see you."

Emmy nodded and gave Bronev a small smile.

Bronev smiled back. "I'll be back," he promised and left.

Emmy tried to wipe her eyes, but cried out and winced as soon as she touched her face. She couldn't see a thing – everything was just a hazy blur where her eyes were full of water and mucus. She sighed. "I want to go home," she said to herself.

* * *

"All I can recall is seeing that girl carrying Emmy away and the warehouse exploding. I don't know who beat Emmy up or who blew up the warehouse," Carla lied. It was true that she didn't know who hurt Emmy, but she didn't want to get her brothers in trouble.

"I see. Thank you for your time, Mrs. De La Vega," the cop said politely, turning to leave.

"You're welcome."

Bronev approached Carla, who was accompanied by Layton and Celeste, who had arrived five minutes before.

"How is she?" the professor asked worriedly.

"She's stable," Bronev replied, "But she took a heavy beating. She has a lot of bruising to her face, but it's not as bad as it looks. Why don't you three go in and see her while I get her some food?" Bronev suggested.

"You two go ahead, I need a word with Bronev," the professor said. "I'll see you in there."

Carla and Celeste walked away while the professor and Bronev headed towards the cafeteria.

"I have a few questions for you, Bronev. Regarding Emmy."

"What about her?"Bronev asked, trying to sound casual.

"How does she know Vaughan really?"

"As I said before, it is only a suspicion I have," Bronev said calmly.

"Be that as it may, I think it could bear a lot of relevance to our case," Layton explained. "There are a lot of questions to be answered here, not only about Vaughan, but about Jai, and Emmy too. Jai and Emmy have been acting oddly lately, admit it. Jai's case is understandable, what with her coming from a completely different world and all, but Emmy seems incredibly off. She's a lot quieter than she used to be. And before we left to see Vaughan yesterday, she was as white as a sheet, but when we got there, she was fine. How do you explain that?"

"There is a very good reason for that, one which she would rather not share with other people," Bronev snapped.

"Except for you?"

"I'm her family. I'm all that girl has left in this world. I was the one who took her in when she had no one else. Of course she would tell me things, because she knows that I wil not _under any circumstances_ breath a word to anyone about it. She doesn't want you to know."

"But you agree that she has not been herself recently?"

"Yes. She has been unwell, but that is not her fault."

"I'm not saying that any of this is Emmy's fault," Layton said defensively, "But if neither of you will tell me the truth, then what am I to think? For all I know, either one of you could be on Vaughan's side, spying on us."

"You are being absurd," Bronev snapped. "Why would I spy on my own side? Why would Emmy spy on the behalf of a man she is terrified of?"

"Because of the fact that she's terrified of him," Layton explained. "He could be threatening her."

"He isn't. I watch that girl twenty four seven. She hasn't received letters or calls of that nature. She is not against us."

Layton sighed. "If you will not give me the answers I need, I will search elsewhere."

"Emmeline was not with us when we saw Vaughan last night," Bronev explained. "And the man you saw was not Vaughan. Emmeline was indeed scared last night. She told me that she was too scared to go. So I called on an old acquaintance of mine to fill in for her."

"Don Paolo, I presume?" Layton asked.

"How did you know that?" Bronev asked.

"Flora followed Emmy last night. She saw her go into an alleyway at the back of the estate and remove the disguise. Emmy was in fact Don Paolo the whole time. He also aided Vaughan in kidnapping Emmy in the first place. He waited with the car parked around the back and drove off as soon as Vaughan came out of the house with Emmy."

"Son of a bitch," Bronev swore.

"Indeed. I would advise you against trusting him again. His incentives aren't usually the best," the professor warned. "But if the man we saw last night wasn't Vaughan, then who was it?"

"A friend of Emmeline's named Jorge De La Vega. He is Carla's brother in law. He is being blackmailed by Vaughan. That was the man you saw me and Celeste with last night. Celeste took him away and had him put into witness protection. None of it was his fault. Vaughan threatened to hurt Carla and her husband Antonio if he didn't comply with his demands."

"So, while we were distracted by Jorge..." the professor began.

"... the real Vaughan broke into the Triton's place and kidnapped the real Emmeline while she was in the shower," Bronev finished. "There were a few gaps before, but now it all makes sense to me."

"Right," the professor said, satisfied. "That's one mystery solved. But I would like to know what happened to Emmy last night, if you don't mind."

"I'll explain," Bronev said. "Emmeline is still terribly upset after the ordeal. "

"I understand," the professor nodded. "Please go on."

"Vaughan said to Emmeline that he wanted her to go with him. Emmeline protested, so he chloroformed her and took her to that warehouse. She woke up and tried to call me, but my battery was gone, so she called Carla. Then Jai came out of nowhere and took Emmeline out through the sewage system. But when they got out, they were met by three guards. Emmy dispatched one of them, but the other beat her up quiet badly. Jai dispatched one and managed to knock out the other one and prevent him from doing further damage to Emmeline. Jai then carried Emmeline away and she ran into Carla. Carla took Emmeline to hospital while Antonio took the boys, Xavier and Aldaz, Carla's brothers, back to the Triton's place. Antonio called me before he got back, so I left for the hospital and I've been here ever since," Bronev explained.

"I see," Layton said. "So, what are we to do about this whole "trade" business with Vaughan?"

"I'm not sure," Bronev admitted. "I daresay he has noticed Emmeline's disappearance by now, but he may yet come anyway. Wait for him by the school and if he doesn't come within one hour, return to the Triton's place."

"Right," Layton replied. "I'll go and see Emmy, and then I'll get right on it."

"I'll get Emmeline some food," Bronev said. "I'll see you later."

Layton walked away from the cafeteria and back towards the wards Emmy was in. He was only halfway back when he heard his name being called.

"Layton! Oi, Layton!"

"Why, hello, Superintendant Grosky!" Layton said, tipping his hat welcomingly.

"Grosky will do just fine thank you," Grosky said. "I heard Emmy's in here. What happened? Did she crash her scooter again?"

"No, I'm afraid she was most viciously attacked," Layton explained. "She was kidnapped last night and—"

"WHAT!" Grosky exclaimed. "Is she alright? Who did this?!"

"She was in a critical condition last night, but she seems a lot better now apparently, although I have yet to see her in person," Layton said. "Come with me and we'll see how she is."

"Agreed," Grosky said and the two walked to Emmy's room. "I received that email from young... what's her name... Florence... Rainfeld?"

"Flora Reinhold, yes," the professor said.

"Yes, young Flora. I showed it to higher resources, and they said to report here immediately. I also talked to the chief constable at the station in Midleton and the one in the city centre here, and they've given your team access to any files you need."

"Thank you very much, Grosky. That will be invaluable to us."

"No worries, Layton."

"Here we are."

Layton pushed the door open and stepped inside followed by Grosky. They both stared, shocked at the pitiful sight of Emmy's poor face, covered in bruises and her eyes and jaw line swollen up.

"Wha? Who's that?" Emmy said, scrambling around.

"Shh, it's okay Emmy, it's only the professor and..." Celeste stopped.

"Superintendant Clamp Grosky, ma'am. It's a pleasure." He held out his hand, which Celeste shook.

The professor took a seat next to Emmy and looked at her sadly.

"Professor..."

"Yes?" the professor leaned in towards Emmy.

"I'm sorry... about this..."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"It most certainly is not your fault, Emmy!" Grosky exclaimed. "I, Grosky of the yard, will not rest until the culprit is found and put behind bars."

"That's really not necessary, although your help would be very valuable, I'm sure," Celeste said. "We have thousands of agents all over the country and worldwide, who are looking for the artefacts and are on their way here to fight this man as we speak. But your police clearance will be an invaluable ally to us. I must take this opportunity to thank you for your time, services and co-operation—"

"No need, ma'am, no need!" Grosky waved away her thanks. "Helping a friend in need is all that counts! I'll be on my way, searching for clues and whatnot. Get well soon, Emmy!" And with that, he tore off.

Emmy reached out for Carla's hand and she took it. Emmy smiled faintly and Carla smiled back.

"So... how do you know Emmy, Mrs De La Vega?" the professor asked.

"Please, call me Carla. Emmy and I are cousins. We lived together in London for some time before I moved to America for work," Carla explained.

"Can someone get me some water and a straw?" Emmy croaked. "I can't see a thing."

"Of course, Emmy," Layton said, pouring her a glass of water from the jug beside him and getting a straw out from the packet on Emmy's bedside table. He handed it to her.

"Thank you," Emmy said and smiled at his chin, unable to see his eyes. Layton smiled back.

Bronev returned with a tray for Emmy. "Scrambled egg and bacon for you, my dear," he said.

"Thank you, Uncle Leon," Emmy said sweetly and smiled at him. Bronev placed a board across tha bars of Emmy's bed and put the tray on top of it. He then took a seat beside Celeste.

"Has she taken her pills yet?" Celeste whispered to Bronev.

"No, she only woke up ten minutes ago," Bronev whispered in reply. "I think we should wait until those two leave, so we don't embarrass her."

"Can somebody feed me?" Emmy asked, blushing slightly. "I can't see."

"I'll do it," Bronev said, taking the knife and fork and cutting up Emmy's food into bite-sized pieces.

"Shall I leave you to it?" Layton asked. "I'll be back at around lunchtime."

"Thanks, Professor," Emmy said. "I really appreciate you coming."

Layton smiled. "I'll visit every day. I promise."

Emmy beamed, but had to stop because it hurt her face.

"I'll see you all later." Layton said his goodbyes and left.

Emmy smiled to herself. "Bye Professor," she thought.

Bronev grinned at Emmy. "Open wide, Emmeline. Here comes the choo-choo train. Oh, my, this takes me back..."

Celeste and Carla laughed loudly. Emmy scowled.

"Shut up, Leon."

* * *

Jai slumped against the front door of the Triton's place. Her head was banging and she was furious.

"Will you go the fuck away and give me a break?" Jai growled. "We agreed I'd give you the all-clear and I'd go away until I was needed! What part of that don't you understand?"

"Well I can't fucking control when I come and go, I haven't mastered that yet!" the voice snapped.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance!" Jai snapped aloud, coming in the door and slamming it behind her.

"Who are you talking to?" Aurora came out of the kitchen.

"The dead girl," Jai said shortly. "She's coming back and giving me a headache."

"You're the one who gave me a headache when you got that bastard to shoot me in the head!" the voice yelled, outraged.

"Shut the fuck up!" Jai roared.

Aurora jumped and took a step backwards.

"Sorry, Aurora, not you. Did you need something?" Jai asked.

"Where is everyone?" Aurora asked.

"Clark and Brenda took the kids to the shop and Antonio is upstairs washing up. Emmy, Bronev and Layton are all at the hospital," Jai replied. "And I'm here."

"Okay. And... Are you going to be alright?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Jai replied, "as soon as we stop Vaughan. The sooner I get out of this crazy fucked up body, the better."

Aurora smiled and Jai smiled back. Jai suddenly keeled over, holding her head in agony.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRHGHH! STOP IT!"

* * *

"What is the plan, master?" Raymond asked. "Have you decided which side we are on yet?"

"Yes," Desmond said. "We are on neither side."

"What do you mean by that?" Raymond asked.

"It is simple, Raymond. I will pass on information from the resistance to Vaughan, and yet at the same time I will pass on information from Vaughan to the resistance. That will make the whole process much quicker."

"To which process are you referring to?" Raymond asked.

"The discovery of the Grounds of Rebirth. There are now three different sides, but one common objective. We all want the Grounds of Rebirth and the renaissance artefacts. The two sides will undoubtedly be gathering information, and whichever information that cross references with the opposite side is presumably the correct information. That means I will know if the information is correct before anyone else does, and I will be the first one to get to the Grounds of Rebirth and the first to use it," Desmond said proudly. "That will be stage one of my master plan complete."

"Stage one?" Raymond echoed, confused.

"Yes. You see, stage two requires..."

* * *

"Are you ready yet, my dear?" Vaughan asked the woman.

"Yes," she said. "All packed and ready to go."

"Good. Are our spies put in place yet?"

"For the most part. The only spies left to enter are agent Van De Garde and myself."

"Good. Very good. And have you managed to track down young Miss Altava yet?"

"Yes," the dark haired woman confirmed. "She is currently in the Cork University Hospital with her eyes swollen shut."

Vaughan sighed, looking sad. The woman touched his arm. "She will learn, do not worry," she said, leaning towards his chair to kiss him on the cheek. "She will comply with our demands if she knows what is good for her."

"Yes." Vaughan stood up and walked across the room. "Yes she will."

"Where are you going?" the woman asked.

"It's almost twelve o'clock. I have to go. So do you. Go to Descole and team up with him. I must see Miss Altava. I proposed a trade, and a trade is what I will get."


	9. The Altava Investigation

Chapter 8 – The Altava Investigation

The professor got out of his car and waited outside the school. He looked around. There was no one in sight. He checked his watch. Twelve twenty five. He sighed. He paced back and forth, waiting for someone, anyone, to come along and bear even the tiniest bit of relevance to his case.

"Hello, professor."

The professor jumped and spun around, only to find Jai staring back at him.

"Hello, Jai. I presume you are waiting for Vaughan, like myself?"

"Yes." Jai looked around. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Desmond said he would be here, as did Celeste. Bronev will be staying with Emmy in the hospital."

"I see."

The two stood in silence as Layton watched the minutes drag on his watch.

"Ah, here we are," the professor said as Celeste pulled up in her car.

"Good afternoon, Layton," she said, stepping out of her car.

"How is Emmy?" Jai asked.

"She's a lot better than she was last night," Celeste replied. "but she'd be in a worse state if you weren't there to save her."

"Mmm." Jai said nothing.

"You know, I don't think he's coming. He has no reason to come now that we've got Emmy back. He has nothing to threaten us with."

"Yet," Jai said with a sigh. "I'm sure he'll think of something."

"Yes, I'll second that," the professor agreed.

"There must be someone with Emmy at all times, for her own safety. Is Bronev still there?" Jai asked.

"Yes, I don't think he plans on leaving her any time soon," Celeste replied. "And I can't say that I blame him after what's happened."

A long black car pulled up as she said this. The door opened and Desmond stepped out to greet them.

"Layton! Celeste! I trust Emmy is feeling better? I apologise as I have not had the chance to see her in person."

"That's all right, Desmond. She's a lot better now that she's been cared for in hospital. Have you heard anything about Vaughan's whereabouts?"

"No. Nothing," Desmond sighed. He sat down on the wall and sighed. "I wish I only knew what he was up to. I wish I could help Emmy..."

"Well, being I the resistance and helping to protect her is more than enough," Celeste smiled. "She really appreciates your help. And that goes for you too, Hershel," she added. "She appreciates everything you've done for the resistance thus far, as do I, and Bronev too."

Layton tipped his hat gracefully. "it was nothing. I haven't finished here yet. I still have many questions as to what Vaughan is up to, the Grounds of Rebirth and many other things besides. Speaking of which, I would like to have a long chat with you later. Would it be at all possible for us to meet up later on, for dinner perhaps?"

"Er... yes, that sounds lovely," Celeste replied. "Finin's restaurant down town at six."

"Perfect," Layton said. He smiled. _**"I will get my answers yet,"** _he thought to himself.

* * *

"Are you thirsty, my dear?" Bronev asked gently.

Emmy nodded. "Parched. All this lying down and doing nothing is tiring me out.

Bronev smiled. "I'll go and refill your water jug. I'll be back in a minute." And he left the room.

Emmy lied back down and yawned widely. She had been exhausted for the whole day and hadn't an ounce of energy to spare. "Maybe I'll go to sleep for a while," she thought. "Uncle Leon won't mind." She felt herself drifting off...

* * *

Bronev walked down the corridor and refilled Emmy jug in the kitchen. He was just on his way back when he froze.

He was a familiar man walking off down the corridor towards Emmy's room. Bronev felt anger rising up in his chest.

"_Him,"_ he thought. _"He'd better not be doing what I think he's doing..."_

The man opened the door to Emmy's room and entered.

"_Shit..."_ Bronev thought worriedly. _"I just hope that she drifted off or something..."_

He tore off down the corridor after the man.

* * *

Vaughan poked his head in the door of Emmy's hospital room and looked at her. She was sleeping gently, her head rested on her pillow. Her hair was brushed back off her face. She was lying on her back. She looked so peaceful.

Vaughan smiled. He noticed the severe bruising and swellings on her face and eyes and glared. "When I find that Vladimir, I will kill him," he thought furiously. He then heard footsteps rapidly approaching. "Bronev," Vaughan thought. "I must hide." He crawled on the floor and under the bed. He heard Bronev come in and look around. He then heard a sigh and the door close.

Vaughan climbed out from under the bed and stood next to Emmy's sleeping form. He leaned over her and began to stroke her hair and face. Emmy stirred in her sleep, mumbling.

"Uncle Leon..."

"I'm here," Vaughan whispered.

Emmy smiled and went back to sleep.

Vaughan sat on the edge of the bed and put his arms gently around Emmy. He leaned in to kiss her head, but was interrupted.

"Touch that girl with your lips and die."

Vaughan straightened up and turned around. Bronev was at the door, pointing a gun at Vaughan.

"Well, well," Vaughan sneered. "We meet again. Bronev."

"Indeed," Bronev said, loading his gun and locking the barrel shut with a click.

"Do tell my good man, how has she been since I last saw her?"

"Better than she ever was with you."

"Hmph." Vaughan stood up and pulled out a gun of his own. "You want to play, do you?"

"No," Bronev snarled. "I want to kill."

"Well, my man, there is no way you'll ever be able to kill me, but if you would prefer to put the girl here out of her misery, then by all means." Vaughan stepped aside, revealing Emmy's sleeping form to Bronev.

Bronev stared at Emmy but didn't say anything. Vaughan smiled.

"She's very precious, isn't she? It certainly would be a shame if her pretty face was harmed any more, wouldn't it?"

"Don't even touch her!" Bronev hissed. "Don't you dare even look at her again, you hear me?"

Vaughan grinned maliciously. "It would be a shame if you were to... lose her. Just like Rachel."

Bronev stopped. He lowered his gun.

"Good man. You're learning," Vaughan smiled at him. "Now, if you give me what I want, I'll never so much as glance at your pretty little Emmeline again. Do you understand?"

Bronev nodded.

"Right. Tell me where Jai of birth and rebirth is." Vaughan pointed his gun at Emmy. "Or the deal's off."

"I don't know where she is."

"Ooh, wrong answer," Vaughan said, and he pulled the trigger.

Bronev flinched, but there was a mere click of the gun, but no bullet. Vaughan chuckled.

"Scared you, did I?" he teased. He then loaded his gun. "Let's try again, shall we? Where is Jai of Birth and Rebirth?"

Bronev hesitated. "She... is waiting for you outside the school, for the "trade". She thinks you may show up anyway, to have words."

"And that I will," Vaughan said. "Thank you, Bronev. That wasn't so hard, was it? Keep up like this, and Emmeline may actually live to see tomorrow. Would you like that?"

But before Bronev could answer, Vaughan pushed his way past him and out the door. He turned back to face Bronev.

"You can't watch her forever, Bronev. Nor can you watch yourself. Try to watch your back, though, because sooner or later there will be a bullet in it. And I'll be shooting it." Vaughan smiled and walked away.

Bronev sighed and sat on the bed next to Emmy. She was still asleep. He kissed her forehead and sighed. "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

* * *

"He's not coming," Desmond finally said after a long silence. "It's half past one, and he would have come by now if he was coming at all. Let's go."

Celeste sighed. "I suppose you're right, Desmond. We should get back to the Triton's place. They'll be worried sick."

The four of them walked back together.

"I suppose he just didn't bother coming because he knew Emmy was gone," Celeste said bluntly.

"I doubt it," Jai said. "He's undoubtedly up to something, I am sure of it. He just doesn't strike me as the type who walks around without a backup plan."

"What do you think it is, then?" Desmond asked.

"I'm not sure," Layton said. "But I think we should probably reconvene with the others and see if there is anything we can do."

* * *

"So, what was Emmy like as a child?" Luke asked as the professor, Celeste and Desmond walked in. "She has never told us anything about herself or her past. All she ever says is "The only Emmy you should care about is the Emmy of today, not the Emmy of yesterday.""

"Yep, that's Emmy alright!" Xavier laughed. "Always keeping herself to herself. No wonder she doesn't have a boyfriend!"

"Xavi! Shut up!" Carla snapped. She turned back to Luke. "Well, I don't know an awful lot about her early childhood, as I wasn't there for much of that. I only got to see Emmy when she and her mother came to visit me and my family in Spain. Emmy's mother was my mother's sister, you see. That's how we're related. But I can tell you about her teenage years, as I was there for a lot of that. We – Aldaz, Xavier and I – had moved from Spain to London for a while, to improve on our English and so I could work, about seven years ago. We lived with Emmy and her uncle, as they are relatives of ours, and that's how I really got to know Emmy."

"So, are you and Emmy related to the professor?" Flora asked.

"No. Emmy isn't related to Leon, he adopted her and she just calls him uncle from when she was young. I'm no blood relative of his and neither is Emmy."

"Oh, okay," Flora said, nodding."

"What did Emmy get up to at school? I've always wanted to know, but she'd never tell," Luke said, curious.

"Ah, Emmy was a very sly one. She could get away with anything if she tried. She got into a lot of fights, so it was just as well, really."

"She used to fight at school?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, Mr. Bronev told the professor and me about "fight club" on our way over," Flora said with a smile.

"Yes," Layton smiled, remembering. He then realised the wealth of knowledge Carla could have and that she may know how Emmy knows Vaughan. "So, can you remember what Emmy's parents were like?"

"Kind of," Carla said. "I don't remember too much about her father, I only know that he left soon after her mother died. He was a successful property developer and he was loaded, but his grief after losing Paloma caused him to leave. I don't think he could handle being around Emmy because she looks so much like Paloma did."

"Paloma?" the professor asked.

"Emmy's mother," Xavier said. "She died in a fire with our mother and her son, Daniel, about sixteen years ago. I was only around eighteen months old and Aldaz had only been born a few weeks before it happened."

"Ah," the professor nodded. "I see. I'm terribly sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Xavier smiled. "From what I heard, Paloma was a good person. I think Emmy inherited it from her."

"Yeah, she did," Carla said, smiling. "She and my mother were very close, always, since they were kids. They were completely inseparable. Paloma and Juanita, my mother, went everywhere together as kids. She was very close to Leon as well."

"Mr. Bronev knew Emmy's mother?" Luke asked.

"Yes. They were pen friends at school, I think. That's what he said. They used to write to each other and visit each other when Leon was at school learning Spanish. They were exchange partners. Anyway, after school, they still visited each other regularly. And Paloma introduced him to his wife first, Rachel. She was another pen friend of Paloma's, who also lived in London. Paloma introduced her to Leon and they hit it off there and then."

"I see. My, that is very interesting!" the professor said. He was astonished to learn how his biological parents had met. Sure, he never felt able to call Bronev a father, but hearing of how his relationship with Rachel had begun was still intriguing.

"What about Daniel? What was he like?" Flora asked.

Carla sighed heavily. "He was only eighteen months old when he died. He was so sweet, though. He never wanted to part with Emmy. They were inseparable also. They were always playing together, laughing and running around. They always used to play together with me and Xavi whenever we went to visit."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Flora sighed.

"There's something strange, though," Carla said, deep in thought. "About the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The fire they died in was arson, but a culprit was never found. Every single one of the suspects had an alibi that checked out. All the security cameras had been stolen before the fire. There was no possible way to escape the building, as all the doors and windows were locked. Even all the doors leading from one room to another were locked."

"Strange..." the professor said, thinking.

"It gets stranger," Carla continued. "Paloma and Daniel's bodies were removed after their funerals, by request of Emmy's father. He left with their bodies, but not his own daughter."

"What?" Luke exclaimed. "Why?"

"Grief obviously did terrible things to that man, Luke. His mind may not have been working logically or rationally at the time," Celeste pointed out. "I've seen it time after time in my line of work. Traumatic experiences can have the worst of effects on people, deaths, war situations, being tortured, things like that. They can disorientate the mind in unspeakable ways. That is most likely what happened to Emmy's father."

"Yes, that is what we assumed had happened to Aleksander," Carla said. "But if it was grief and he got over it, would he not have come back to find Emmy and make amends?"

"Perhaps he never got over it," Layton said. "Some people never get over that kind of trauma."

"Poor Emmy," Brenda said sadly. She looked quite upset. "Imagine losing your family like that. Some people lose contact with their loved ones over stupid things, but Emmy lost them in such a horrific manner... it really makes you think, doesn't it?"

"Yes..." Layton began to think. "Thank you, Carla, for sharing these things with us. It is very much appreciated."

"You're welcome," Carla said with a smile. "But can you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Don't tell Emmy we had this conversation. It's still very upsetting for her."

"Of course. We wouldn't dream of trying to upset her," the professor said.

"Good."

Carla's phone rang suddenly. She picked it up.

"Hello?"

Layton began to think some more about what he had just heard. He frowned, remembering what Bronev had said previously. _"He... he did some... things to her, when she was...was little." **"I assume that he did these things to her before Bronev adopted her, so it must have happened in her early childhood,"** _he thought.

Carla hung up the phone. "Good news! We have a large number of resistance members who are trained in hand to hand combat on their way here, ex-Targent members, old buddy's from school who joined the army, you know. They'll be here in about five minutes, so we'll have to get organised."

"Right," Celeste said, standing up. "I have already arranged their accommodation. I've got the hotel in Glanmire booked up for them and have a bus running from there to here, courtesy of our government funding. We have to have a list made out of their names and details."

"I can do that!" Flora said, pulling out her laptop, eager to help.

"Very good," Celeste smiled at her. She went into her bag and pulled out a folder. "I have a rota made out with places for watch and times enclosed, and that will have to be finished also. I need names to be filled into it. I also need someone to gather personal details from them."

"I can do the personal details thing while getting names and put them all together for you," Flora said. "Luke can sort the rota."

"Alright," Luke agreed.

"I'll help you with that," Carla offered.

"I think I'll go and see Emmy," Brenda said. "I've been worried sick about tha poor girl since she got here."

"Yes, I'll second that. I'll go too," Clark said.

"As will I and Raymond," Desmond said. "I can drive you there, Mr and Mrs. Triton."

"Thank you,," Clark said gratefully.

"I'm going to lie down," Jai said. She looked even worse than she did the previous day, her skin even greyer and her eyes bloodshot. She got up and left the room. Aurora looked at her worriedly and followed.

"I need to go to the police station and gather some more evidence for our case," Layton said. "Grosky, if you would accompany me—"

"You didn't even need to ask, Layton, I was going anyway!" Grosky said enthusiastically.

"Right," Celeste said. "Let's get to it."

* * *

Emmy woke up to find that she could open her eyes a fraction. She saw a blurred outline of her uncle as she woke. He was talking to a nurse. She lay still, listening.

"So how long will it be until I can take her home?"

"Well, I can't say for sure, however long it takes for the swelling to go down enough for her to be able to see," the nurse replied. "Could be this evening, could be a few days, we can't say yet. Also, we're still quite concerned about her stab wound and all the bruising to her ribcage and all the cuts on her limbs. Could you tell us how they occurred?" the nurse asked.

"I'm sorry, but I know as much as you do," Bronev lied quickly. "She can't remember anything. I think that was caused by the stress."

"I see," the nurse said. "I'll go and see the consultant and get back to you about when she can leave."

"Thank you," Bronev said. He turned to Emmy and smiled as he saw her eyes open a bit. He walked over to her bed and sat down beside her, touching her arm gently.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I've been hit by a truck," Emmy replied.

Bronev laughed and Emmy smiled weakly.

"Did I miss anything while I slept?"

"No," Bronev lied again. "Nothing."

Emmy's phone beeped and Bronev picked it up gingerly, reading the text. He grinned.

"Emmeline, Vinnie's on his way."

Emmy groaned loudly and slumped back into her pillows.

"Oh, but he's worried about you!" Bronev laughed.

"Worried? Vinnie? Don't make me laugh," Emmy scoffed. "Is he coming to visit me? Please say no."

Bronev laughed louder. "No, he's headed to the Triton's place with the others. I expect you'll see him when you get out."

"I think I'll stay here," Emmy joked and she and Bronev laughed again.

"Oh, but I thought you liked Vinnie?" Bronev asked sarcastically.

"Not anymore. He's a lying cheating... individual. I mean, he cheated on me with a lesbian! How does that work?"

"I still don't see how you ever liked him in the first place," Bronev frowned. "He's an idiot. You can do a lot better, Emmeline."

Emmy mumbled something in disagreement, looking away. Bronev moved right next to her in the bed and hugged her.

"Of course you can. You're a beautiful girl. And a gifted girl. I'm sure that one day you'll find someone who appreciates you for who you are. Someone who can see you beauty at a glance. He is out there, my dear. You just have to keep looking."

He kissed her ear and held her closer. Emmy wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

"I love you," she said.

Bronev held her at arm's length and smiled. She beamed at him. "I love you so much," she continued. "Ever since the day you came and rescued me. I'll never forget, Uncle Leon. Never."

Bronev looked at her intently. "You're the closest thing to a daughter I've ever known. When Vaughan took you... I thought I had lost you... just like Rachel... and the boys..."

Emmy wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him again. "I'm not going anywhere. You won't get rid of me that easily."

Bronev smiled again and kissed her neck. Emmy kissed his shoulder and held him tighter. He in turn held her tighter and they lay back on the bed together. Emmy snuggled into him as he stroked her hair.

"Don't ever leave me again, Uncle Leon."

"I won't. Not ever. I promise."

They laid there together in silence, just holding one another.

"I'll never let him touch you again."

Emmy didn't reply.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; we're not interrupting, are we?"

Bronev let go of Emmy and sat up. Clark, Brenda, Desmond and Raymond were at the door.

"No, of course not," Bronev said. "Please come in."

The four sat down, gathered around Emmy's bed. Brenda looked sadly at Emmy's face.

"Oh, sweetheart... what on earth did that horrible man do to you?" Brenda sat on the bed beside Emmy and took her hand. "You know I'm here if you ever need to talk about anything, right?"

Emmy nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Triton."

"Please, Emmy, call me Brenda. And that goes for you three as well, gentlemen," she said, gesturing to Bronev, Desmond and Raymond.

"But I always call you Brenda, don't I?" Clark teased.

Emmy smiled and Brenda smiled back. "Thank you... Brenda. So... how are the kids this morning?"

"All fine," Brenda said. "They wanted to come, but Celeste needed help getting the new resistance members organised and Carla thought it would be better if we waited until the swelling went down before the kids came."

"They're letting her out once she's able to see," Bronev piped up. "Maybe even tonight. The swelling has gone down a bit, hasn't it Emmeline?"

"Yeah, I can kind of see now," Emmy said, grinning. "And it doesn't hurt to smile too much anymore."

"That's good." Brenda smiled. "Luke is dying to see you; he's been most worried about you."

"Yes," Clark agreed. "He simply cannot wait until you come home so that he can see you, he doesn't believe anyone when they say that you're alright."

"Emmy smiled. " Perhaps I'll call him later on and tell him for myself."

"Please, do," Clark said.

"Is the professor there? I don't see him," Emmy said, struggling to make out who was there and who was not.

"No, he had to look at some evidence down at the police station. But I'm sure he'll drop by later on."

"Okay," Emmy said, looking a little disappointed.

"I am glad to hear that you are feeling better, Miss Altava. It is I, Professor Sycamore."

"Oh. Hello," she said, looking a bit awkward. "Um... how are you?"

"Not too bad, not too bad at all," he said brightly. Emmy smiled.

"Can I get anything for you, Miss Altava? Water or food?" Raymond asked.

"Typical Raymond! You know, you really ought to get yourself a butler, just to know what it feels like to be served for once!" Emmy exclaimed, snickering. "Really, though, you're always helping and waiting on other people. It should be me getting you food and water."

"Er... if you say so, Miss Altava," Raymond said uncertainly, not sure what to make of that comment.

Brenda laughed. "You should pop round for dinner tonight. I'll make something."

"Really, Mrs. Triton, that s not necessary," Raymond said, looking flustered. "I'm just fine."

"I'll cook the dinner tonight, if it makes you feel any better, Miss Altava," Desmond said, winking at Raymond.

"Yeah, you do that. Treat him like a king."

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, it's the morphine," Bronev said, nudging Emmy as a signal for her to shut up.

"Not a problem, Mr. Bronev," Raymond said and he smiled.

The others continued making idle chitchat whilst Bronev got thinking. He looked oddly at Desmond. "What on earth are you up to now, boy?" he wondered. Desmond had a look on his face that Bronev recognised. There was only a hint of it, but it was there nonetheless. Bronev was his father, after all, and he could tell what the man was thinking from a mile away. He knew him. He was his son.

The expression on Desmond's face mainly read that he was being attentive to the conversation that was taking pace, but there was a hint of something else. Bronev recognised it from when Desmond was about five years old and had hidden Bronev's car keys and refused to disclose the location – that "I know something that you don't know" look. That mischievous look. Desmond was up to something. And Bronev was going to find out if it killed him.

* * *

Layton and Grosky walked up to the administration desk in the Midleton police station, waiting for the woman to come back with the key to the archives.

"Where is that girl?" Grosky demanded impatiently.

The girl in question scurried back. "Sorry," she said breathlessly. "Couldn't find it. Here." She handed it to him.

"Thank you very much, miss," Layton cut in before Grosky could speak. "Come, Grosky, let's be off."

The two walked off into the archives and looked around.

"So, what are you looking for?" Grosky asked.

"A few things, actually. Firstly, I want to find the addresses of the two girls who found the body of that girl who was murdered yesterday. Let's start there."

"I'll take the left, you take the right," Grosky advised, going to the left hand side of the room and scouring the shelves.

The professor searched around the shelves to the right, when a question suddenly hit him. "Grosky, is there any way that you could access the files of the London archives by computer?"

"Why, yes. How else do you think we look at files on the go?" Grosky said, pulling up a chair to the computer in the corner of the room. "If you could turn around. You're not allowed to know this password."

"Right," Layton said, turning around.

Grosky turned on the computer, logged into the archives page for Scotland Yard and typed in the password. "Righto, just type what you want into search and go," Grosky said, returning to search for the document as the professor had instructed.

"Thank you Grosky," the professor said. He sat down. "my, wouldn't it be easier in Scotland yard if they just used the computer outright?" he thought to himself. He chuckled quietly.

"That one at the desk is useless, isn't she?" Grosky called. "I'm just glad we've got Monica from Scotland Yard reception coming to cover all the paperwork of this operation. Now there's a girl who knows what she's doing."

"Monica? Monica Monroe?" Layton asked. "Oh dear. Poor Emmy..."

He then turned his attention back to the computer. He clicked on the search bar and typed Emmy's name into it. Emmy's criminal record came up. Layton smiled to himself and clicked on it.

It was completely empty, bar two files. Layton opened the first one.

"Emmeline Bronev" read the heading.

"Fourteen years of age.

Female.

Date of birth: 23rd September 1991.

Arrested for: petty theft on the streets of London.

Name of victim: Robert manning.

Alibi forwarded.

Cleared of all charges.

"Petty theft?" Layton wondered. He then moved on to the other file.

"**Arson file imported from the city of Santiago del Compostella, Spain. **

**Date of occurrence **

27th August 1999.

**Address **

57 Negro Avenida, Calle Oesta, Santiago del Compostella.

**Names of deceased **

Paloma Chovanek, 40,

Daniel Chovanek, eighteen months,

Juanita Van De Garde, 34.

**Cause **

Deliberate.

**Arsonist **

Unknown

**Case unsolved as of yet."**

"Paloma Chovanek?" the professor muttered. He typed her name into the search bar, but nothing came up.

He returned to the search bar and thought. He then typed "J. Vaughan" into the bar. There were three thousand results.

Grosky went over to the computer and looked over Layton's shoulder. "I searched before I got here, but there was nothing," Grosky informed him.

"Alright, thank you inspector." The professor thought again. "Would you be able to get into the Spanish national archives?"

"Why?" Grosky asked.

"There is another case from about fifteen years ago, and I think it may be linked to this one," Layton explained.

"Enough said!" Grosky got the professor to turn around again and got to the right page. "There you are!" he said and walked off again.

The professor typed Paloma's name in again and this time fifty results showed up. Layton typed "fire" after her name and only one result remained.

He clicked into it. A picture of a burning building came up on the screen. The details came below.

"**Fecha de ocurrencia:** (date of occurrence)

27. augusto 1999.

**Dirección **(address)

57 Negro Avenida, Calle Oesta, Santiago del Compostella.

**Nombres de los fallecido: **(names of the deceased)

Paloma Chovanek, 3. marzo 1959,

Daniel Chovanek, 25. noviembre 1995,

Juanita Van De Garde, 7. abril 1963.

**Causa: **(cause)

No accidental.

Caso sin resolver. (case unsolved)

**Testigo presencial: **(eyewitness)

Emmeline Chovanek."

The professor stopped when he saw Emmeline written there. "Emmy?" he thought. He didn't hesitate any longer. He printed all three files and stuffed them into his pocket.

"I found them," Grosky said, handing him a photocopy of the file. He read "Dominika Kaweclia, 16, Whitegate. Agata Antzach, 17, Bailick Avenue Midleton. We've got them. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I'm not sure," the professor replied. "I'll have to check with a source, but I'm fairly confident."

"I'll talk to those girls," Grosky said firmly.

"And I'll check with my source," Layton said firmly. "Bronev."


	10. Regroup

Chapter 9 – Regroup.

Celeste couldn't hear herself think over the noise in the room. There were around fifteen or twenty people all talking over each other and it was driving her mad. People laughing, people joking, people fighting... it was out of control. Celeste was reminded of her old job where she was teaching school children. Celeste sighed and cleared her throat.

"SHUT IIIT!" she roared, and everyone fell silent at once. "That's better," she said. "Alright. You all know why you're here."

"No," Vinnie said. "Emmy never told me anything, she just said to come if I wanted a big fat pay off at the end."

"Well then allow me to explain." Celeste cleared her throat again. "You have all been called here to protect the citizens of the surrounding area from a terrorist whose goal is to find a certain archaeological find that has the potential to ruin many lives. He will stop at nothing to achieve his own ends. So far, he has kidnapped three people, blown up a school and murdered a sixteen year old girl. As of yet, we have no idea what he will do next, so we need to have all areas protected and guarded by at least two members of resistance personnel at all times."

Carla raised her hand.

"Yes, Mrs. De La Vega?"

"Well... do we have enough people to be able to cover that? I mean, there's like twenty people here, and there are hundreds of places where this guy can strike all over town."

"What we have here isn't all of the people in the resistance," Celeste replied. "There are various meeting places for resistance members all over this town and many different leaders who are each put in charge of their own sector. There are two sectors per town, one for the north side and one for the south side. The resistance was established here, so this is sector A and this is the north side of town so it is side 1, so this sector is sector A1. All of you are members of sector A1 of the resistance."

There was mumbling after this statement and Celeste cleared her throat, silencing everyone once more.

"Now, has everyone here had their family put under the resistance witness protection act? If not, please say so now."

A man with long grey hair, who was accompanied by a brunette and two little boys, stepped forward. "I would like to place my family here into witness protection."

"Alright," Celeste said. "Go to Flora over there and she'll sort you out."

The man nodded and beckoned for his family to follow him over to Flora. Flora smiled as they approached.

"What are your names?"

"My name is Doctor William Brown and this is my wife Katherine and my sons, Jules and Verne."

Flora typed this into her list and nodded. "You are to go to the Midleton park hotel. There is an acquaintance there who will tell you where to go."

"Thank you," Dr. Brown said and he left with his family in tow.

"Is that all?" Celeste asked. Everyone stayed silent. "I'll take that as a yes. Right, everyone form a line and get registered in by Flora over there. Then fill out the form I will give to you and then queue up to Luke to get your post. Does everyone understand?"

There were various nods and murmurs of approval.

"Good."

Everyone queued up to be registered. Vinnie scoffed.

"C'mon, I feel like I'm back at school with this whole "queuing up" thing. I'll bet you she's a school teacher, she definitely sounds like one."

"Yeah," Stacey agreed. She looked at Monica who sighed.

"Where's Emmy?" she asked. "Why isn't she here sucking up to her as usual?"

Carla glared at Monica. Vinnie cleared his throat.

"Uh... Emmy's in the hospital. Cara texted this morning and told me. She didn't tell you because—"

"Because you don't care," Carla cut across him. "Because you hate Emmy and all you care about is the little bit of power you get when you make her feel weak. When you bully her. Because you're pathetic, you and your sister."

Stacey glared back at Carla. "Look, I didn't cheat on her, it was Vinnie, so if anyone is to blame for all of this, it's him."

Vinnie glowered at her incredulously. "Are you serious? You got me drunk just so I would do it! Do you really think I would cheat on Emmy with anyone if I was sober? She's the hottest girl around!"

"Well that's your own fault for going ahead with it in the first place!" Monica said, outraged.

"Next!" Flora announced, looking at Monica.

"Go on!" Vinnie pushed her forward. Monica glared at him.

"Name?"

"Monica Monroe."

"Nationality?"

"Great Britain."

"Age?"

"Twenty-five."

"Here is your form," Celeste said, handing it to her. "Fill it out and leave Emmeline alone."

"Hah!" Vinnie laughed.

"Name?"Celeste asked sharply.

"Vincent Baxter," Vinnie said proudly, holding out his hand. Celeste shook it.

"Nationality?" Flora asked.

"African American."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

Flora smirked.

" No, really! I am!"

"Yeah, as if Emmy would date a seventeen year old!" Carla scoffed.

"Real age?"

"Twenty-nine," Vinnie said, looking down at his feet.

"Thank you very much for your honesty," Flora said sweetly. "Here is your form."

"Thank you." Vinnie walked over to the couch and plonked himself down on it, frowning at the form.

"Next!"

Stacey stepped forward.

"Name?" Flora asked her.

"Stacey Monroe."

"Nationality?"

"Great Britain."

"Age?"

"Twenty-three."

Celeste handed her the form silently. Stacey scoffed before walking away.

"Let's see... Carla De La Vega, Spain... how old are you Carla?" Flora asked.

"Twenty-nine."

"Here's your form, Carla. Thank you!"

Carla beamed at Flora before she walked over to Vinnie.

"Next!"

Carla sat down next to Vinnie, who was squinting at his form.

"Everything okay?" Carla asked, looking at Vinnie's form over his shoulder.

"Yep," he said, still squinting hard.

"I think you need glasses, Vin," Carla said. "You'll hurt your head if you keep squinting."

"I'm not getting glasses," Vinnie said defiantly. "I want Emmy to be attracted to me, and having glasses will only put her off."

"But Emmy wears glasses for reading too, it's no big deal," Carla said.

"No."

"Fine," Carla said, turning away. "If you ever get Emmy back, your eyesight will go to shit and you'll never be able to see anything but a big Emmy shaped blob ever again."

"An Emmy shaped blob is all I need," Vinnie replied shortly.

Carla smirked and turned to her form. She flicked through it, page after page. "Jesus," she thought. "Its gonna be a long couple of hours."

* * *

The professor pulled up at the hospital and checked his watch. Three o'clock. He looked at the flowers he had gotten for Emmy, to make her feel better and more at home. Emmy liked flowers, especially yellow ones, like the daffodils he had bought for her. And she especially liked flower puzzles, like the one the professor had hidden in the bouquet. The professor smiled. He hoped this would cheer her up a bit after the attack. He got out of the car and made his way inside the hospital, grabbing the bouquet on his way out.

He walked down the corridor and down to Emmy's room. He poked his head in the door to say hello, to find the police sitting near the end of her bed asking her questions.

"... and we were outside the sluice gate when we were attacked by these three men."

"And what did these men look like?" one of the officers asked.

"He- oh! Hello Professor!"

"Emmy!" the professor said, smiling. The swelling on her eyes had reduced considerably in the last few hours and she looked a lot better. The professor felt relieved. "Er... do you want me to come back later?"

"Come back in about five minutes, we're nearly done," a female officer said to him."

"Alright." The professor left.

"Now, as you were saying..."

The professor walked down the corridor and towards the cafeteria to get some tea. He reached the cafeteria when he saw Bronev sitting at a table, reading a newspaper. He looked up.

"Ah, Layton, I wondered where you had got to," Bronev said as Layton joined him. "Emmeline has been really looking forward to seeing you."

"Yes, I'm terribly sorry that I took so long, but I think I've got a new lead on this case, though I need you to confirm something for me."

"Do go on." Bronev leaned forward, his interest piqued.

"I was talking to Emmy's cousin, Carla, and she told me about what happened to her parents—"

"That has nothing to do with you, do not pry," Bronev warned in a threatening tone.

"I really think it is relevant to the case-"

"Drop it. Please. I'd rather not go into all that again, as it is upsetting for her. She lost her mother to that fire."

"Do you know something about it?" Layton asked. I read all the files, but a lot of the details were missing.

"Really?" Bronev asked. "Let me see. Did you print it off?"

Layton reached into his pocket and handed the file to Bronev. Bronev scanned through it.

"You 're right. There are a lot of details missing." Bronev then took a lighter out of his pocket and set it alight, dropping it into a nearby bin.

The professor gasped and stood up, stamping it out. Bronev merely sat and watched coldly.

"I told you not to interfere, and you will do as I say," Bronev said coldly. "The police should be finished with Emmeline now. Go and keep her company, and do not mention what we just discussed."

Layton got up and left without a word.

Bronev took his phone out of his pocket and called Celeste. He smiled when she answered.

"How goes the recruiting?"

"Pretty well, considering. I had a bit of trouble from one Monica Monroe earlier."

"Oh , really?"

"Yes. she was talking about Emmeline as if she was a piece of trash, like usual."

"Don't pay her any heed. She's just a pathetic little girl. Listen, I was just speaking to Layton. I think he's getting very suspicious. Did he speak to Carla earlier?" Bronev asked.

"Yes, the boy was asking her about Emmy's childhood, but I didn't hear her mention anything relevant to this situation."

"He was investigating the fire which killed Emmy's mother. He had the case file and everything."

Bronev heard Celeste sigh from the other end of the phone. "What did you say to him?"

"Not much," Bronev replied. "The case file was erased bar the basic details and that Emmeline witnessed it, but he's still suspicious. I burned his file."

"What!" Celeste exclaimed. "Why? Did it not occur to you that reacting would make him even more suspicious?"

"Yes. But I promised Emmeline that he would never find out, and I intend to keep that promise, even if you don't."

"But I really think we should tell him. If he knows all of the facts, he'll be able to help us."

"I don't need his help," Bronev said. "I only need him there to look out for Emmeline, and he has failed miserably at that thus far. He's far more concerned with pinning this on either me or her than actually looking out for Emmeline."

"But he's only looking for evidence! He's trying to get a better perspective of this situation, which is more than you're doing!"

"I am looking after my niece, as I have done for the past fourteen years," Bronev replied coldly. "And if I don't, no one else will."

"She's big enough to take care of herself now. She's not refusing her medicine and is treating her wounds correctly. She'll be fine."

"She'll be fine so long as _he_ doesn't touch her," Bronev said. "One more run in like last night and she could have a serious breakdown. And this time, she may not ever recover."

"But if you keep Layton in the loop, as you have with me, then he just might actually be able to help us. You told me everything. You kept me in the loop right from the beginning, and now Emmeline is much better."

"But she's still not right," Bronev sighed. "She won't be right until he's gone. I must kill him."

"After everything that poor girl has been through in her life, I wouldn't be surprised if she was never the same."

"She will be fine," Bronev insisted. "I just need to finish this."

Celeste sighed. "I'm meeting Layton for dinner tonight at six. What will I say if he asks me about the fire?"

"Pretend you don't know anything," Bronev instructed. "Use it as an excuse to "catch up" with him and see what he's been up to. Ask why he is so suspicious of Emmeline and if he has any other leads."

"Right," Celeste said.

Bronev sighed. I don't like keeping this from everyone either, but this is for Emmeline's sake. They are her friends. She doesn't want them to treat her differently because of what he's done to her."

* * *

The professor entered Emmy's room once more and found that she was once again alone. She smiled when he entered.

"Hello, Professor," she said as he sat down in the chair to her left."

"Good afternoon, Emmy. I trust you are feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you. I can see a lot better now. The doctors have said that I can go home tonight if I keep improving."

"that's wonderful news, my dear!" Layton beamed. Emmy grinned.

Layton held out his bouquet of daffodils. "here, these are for you."

Emmy took them and smelled them. "Oh , they're beautiful, Professor, thank you so much!" Emmy beamed happily at him and Layton smiled back. He felt a strange sensation in his gut, but ignored it. Emmy put them on her bedside table and turned back to him.

"I love daffodils, I can't believe you remembered!"

"But of course! They are yellow, after all, like most of your possessions," Layton pointed out.

Emmy smiled. "Yes. I've always been fond of that colour. Ever since I was little."

Layton smiled fondly at her as she continued.

"I've always been crazy about yellow things. I remember when I was three then my favourite teddy was yellow. Mum won it for me at the fair in Prague. I never let go of it, not even now." And she pointed to her bag.

It was mostly filled with clothes, but it had a scruffy yellow teddy lying on top.

Layton picked it up and had a better look at it. One of its eyes was missing, as was one if its ears. Its fur was matted and slightly discoloured. Layton smiled. It reminded him of Luke's teddy.

"Mum..." Emmy whispered. Layton saw that her hand was trembling. It devastated him to see her like this. He reached over and took her hand.

Emmy looked up, surprised. She looked at her hand, which was in Layton's. She felt his warm hand on hers. She could feel his calluses, his bones, his strength...

She gazed into his eyes. His warm eyes. His beautiful big brown eyes...

Emmy smiled at him and he smiled back. With his beautiful smile. "he looks just like Uncle Leon when he smiles," she thought dreamily. "he really does. That smile... I've loved that smile for so many years... not just on Uncle Leon..."

The professor looked into Emmy's eyes in turn. His smile grew when he saw that she was smiling too. Her smile made her whole face light up. She looked so happy to be there, sitting next to him, holding his hand... he felt guilty for not coming earlier. He felt guilty for not taking her hand years ago, despite the countless opportunities he had, and he countless times where he wanted to. But now, he was there. Her hand was in his, and it never felt so good.

But one thought lingered in the back of his mind. _Claire._ The girl he had been in love with for years and had intended to marry and spend the rest of his life with. The girl he had mourned over for so many years. Here he was with another girl after everything that had happened...

A voice sounded in Layton's mind at this thought. "Come on, Hershel. You need this. You need to move on. Look at her. Look at Emmy. She's beautiful..."

And indeed she was. Layton studied her face. Her deep, dark brown eyes... her long wavy locks of hair that ran freely over her shoulders and appeared to be so soft, so shiny... the bruises and swellings on her face... she was so brave...

"Professor?" Emmy whispered.

Layton blinked. He had no idea how long he had been staring at Emmy, but it had felt like an eternity. He realised that he was still holding her hand. He blushed, causing Emmy to blush too. Emmy looked away, her face getting redder. She made to remove her hand from his, but the professor held it tighter. He reached over and took her other hand.

Emmy looked at him again. Layton smiled at her again and she beamed back. She shuffled around in the bed and moved closer to him...

The door opened and Bronev entered the room. He smiled at Emmy. Emmy removed her other hand from the professor's but left the first one in his. Emmy smiled back at Bronev.

"Everything is alright in here, I trust?" he asked.

"Yes," Emmy said and beamed. "Everything is just fine." And she gave the professor's hand a little squeeze.

"I'll be heading back to the Triton's place to give Celeste a hand with those resistance applications," Bronev said, leaning over and kissing Emmy on the cheek. As he leaned over, he noticed that the two were holding hands.

"I trust that you will be bringing her home?" Bronev said to Layton. "I've spoken to the doctor, and he's discharging her as we speak."

"Really?" Emmy exclaimed, ecstatic. "Great! I can't wait to see everyone again."

Layton smiled at her.

"I hope it wouldn't be a problem if she were to attend dinner with you and Celeste later on? I'm sure she could do with getting out after being stuck here all day."

Emmy and Layton's eyes met. "Of course not." Emmy winked. Layton smiled again.

"Good. I'll be off. See you later." He kissed Emmy again and left.

"Well," Emmy said once he had gone, "I'd better get dressed."

"Indeed," Layton said, finally letting go of her hand. "I'll leave you to it." He left and waited outside the door.

Emmy smiled and flushed again. "He held my hand," she thought, trying to take it all in. "He touched me!"

* * *

I awoke to silence. Jai was gone. "Thank god for that," I thought tiredly. I was lying on a mattress on the floor of the spare room in the Triton's house, still exhausted. I checked my watch. Half three. I sighed. "I should be on my way home by now," I thought. "I should be on the bus with my brother, waiting for it to go..." I sat up.

There was a knock on the door and Aurora entered. "How are you feeling now?" she asked.

"What?" I was confused. "Who are you?"

Aurora frowned. "It's me. Aurora. Your friend."

I shook my head. "Never seen you before in my life." My stomach growled. "I'm hungry." I checked my pocket, and found that my lunch money was still there. I got up and made for the door.

"Wait! Jai, where are you going?" Aurora followed her.

I didn't reply.

"Jai!" Aurora was worried. "Jai!"

Brenda walked out of the kitchen to see what was wrong. I froze.

"Where am I?"

"In my house," Brenda smiled.

"How did I get here?"

"You ... um... walked, I think," Brenda laughed.

"Bye." I ran out the door. Aurora stared after her.

"What's wrong with her?" Brenda asked.

Aurora continued to frown. "I have no idea."

Vaughan waited outside the estate. "She has to come out sometime," he thought. He was right. He saw the girl running out of the house and out of the estate. He smiled. "This is my queue," he thought, stepping forward.

The girl ran out at breakneck speed, not stopping for anyone.

"Hello, my dear," Vaughan said in a sly tone of voice. "We meet again."

"Whatever you're selling I don't want it!" the girl called, sprinting past.

And she left Vaughan standing there, looking extremely confused.

* * *

"Thank you, Flora, but I think I can finish here. You've been such a big help. Thank you," Celeste smiled, patting Flora on the head.

Flora smiled. "You're welcome." She got up and skipped out of the room.

Celeste smiled after her. "Such a sweet girl," she thought.

"Emmeline will be joining you and Hershel for dinner tonight. That ought to stop him asking stupid questions," Bronev said.

"Right," Celeste said. "She has been discharged, then?"

"They were just starting on the paperwork when I left; though I daresay Emmeline will probably walk out a couple of hours before they're finished."

They both chuckled.

"Typical Emmeline," Celeste smiled.

"Emmy's coming home?" a voice from the door asked. They looked over to see Luke peeking into the door.

"Yes, my boy," Bronev replied. "She has to do paperwork at the hospital, then she'll be going out for dinner with the professor and Celeste and then she'll be right here."

Luke thrust his fist victoriously into the air. "Yes! I have to tell the others!" and he ran upstairs.

Celeste and Bronev both smiled at this.

"He's very attached to her, isn't he?" Celeste asked.

"Yes," Bronev said. "Yes he is."

* * *

The professor put Emmy's bag on the backseat of his hired car and got into the driver's seat. Emmy got into the passenger seat and beamed.

"It's so good to be out of there. I hate hospitals."

The professor smiled as he started the ignition. He put the car into gear and drove off. "We're meeting up with Celeste at six, so we've got two hours until then. Is there anything you would like to do?" the professor asked.

"Um... I'm not sure," she said. "Do you want to go and get some tea? Nice tea, not that hospital slop."

The professor laughed and Emmy joined in.

"Yes, my dear," he said. "That sounds lovely."

Emmy smiled. "I know a really nice teashop over on Macurtain street. Why don't we park up and go there?"

"An excellent suggestion," Layton said and he turned off towards the multi-story car park.

A few minutes later, the two were in the desired teashop and had steaming cups of tea placed in front of them. The shop was deserted apart from the two of them and the waitress. Emmy sighed contentedly after she had finished her cup.

"This is so nice. It's good to be somewhere as refreshing as this after being stuck in that horrible place."

"Agreed." The professor took another sip of his tea. "It cannot be denied that there is nothing that can comfort a person more than a good cup of tea."

Emmy smiled. "I've missed you, Professor."

Layton smiled back. "I've missed you too. So has Luke. And Flora has always wanted to meet you, as Luke has told her so much about you and the adventures we shared."

Emmy rested her head on the professor's shoulder and took his hand again. Layton stroked her fingers softly and rested his head on hers. With her other hand, she ran her fingers along the petals of the bouquet of daffodils that the professor had bought for her. She found the card and read it.

"A puzzle? Oh Professor! Thank you!" and before her brain had even registered what she was about to do, she kissed him.

Layton froze, shocked at what had just happened. Emmy suddenly pushed him back, shocked at what she had just done. "I... I'm s-sorry, Professor..." she stammered.

"I-I think we should head back to the car," Layton said quickly. "It's almost rush hour, and we don't want to be late for dinner."

"Right," Emmy said her face reddening as she got up to leave.

The professor threw a ten euro note onto the counter. "Keep the change," he said, tipping his hat to the waitress. He and Emmy then left quickly.

The waitress smirked. "aw... young love..."


	11. Dinner

Chapter 10 – Dinner

Celeste stood impatiently outside Finin's restaurant. She checked her watch again. Five past six. She sighed. She wanted this dinner to be over so that she could get the watch and the rest of the resistance cover sorted out ASAP. She decided to go in without them and get their table before it was given away to someone else.

She went over to the waiter and asked to be taken to her table, and he was happy to oblige. She took a seat and waited.

Moments later, Emmy and Layton walked hurriedly in the door and sat at Celeste's table.

"I'm terribly sorry, Celeste, but I had to collect Emmy from the hospital and the traffic was a nightmare on the way back."

"Not to worry, Hershel. No harm done," she smiled. "Why don't we order?"

"A splendid idea," the professor said.

He called the waiter over and asked for the wine list.

"My, Emmeline, you are looking much better!" Celeste beamed. Emmy smiled back.

"I feel it. It's so good to be out of there. I hate hospitals."

They both laughed.

The professor handed Celeste the wine list and she scanned through it. She then turned to the waiter.

"We'll take two glasses of red and one glass of water, please."

The waiter nodded and walked away.

"So, Hershel, what have you been up to since we last met? I've read many wonderful things about your work!"

Layton smiled. "Well, I have been extremely busy lately, what with Luke moving and Emmy being absent, but on the whole I have been very well."

"And I see you have adopted a young daughter. Flora, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right."

"So, how did you come to meet Flora?" Emmy asked.

Layton smiled. "Well, that is a very long story."

Emmy smiled knowingly. "It always is with you, Professor."

"Well, we do have all evening," Celeste said. "Try us, Hershel."

"Very well," the professor said. He cleared his throat.

"It was a few months after Emmy left. Luke and I received a letter from the widow of an extremely wealthy land baron, Augustus Reinhold. She wanted help solving his little inheritance dispute. You, see, the only way anyone could inherit the fortune is if they discovered the Golden Apple, but the thing is..."

Emmy sat back and listened intently. She had loved every moment she had ever spent with the professor, and this was no exception. She looked at his face, studying his features, his square jaw, his refined cheek bones. She was lost in his hazel eyes...

She listened intently to the sound of his deep voice as he spoke. She stopped listening about halfway through, only staring at him intently at his face, so beautiful in her opinion. It was so easy for her to lose concentration on everything else and simply stare at him for long periods of time.

Celeste glanced at Emmy every so often, and realised that Emmy was staring at the professor. She smiled to herself. She mentally compared Emmy with Layton and, in her opinion, they made a perfect match. They complemented each other in many ways. They were both very intelligent. And they needed each other. Emmy needed someone to look after her (Bronev wouldn't be around forever) and Layton needed someone to male him happy. Celeste could tell just by looking at him that he was lonely.

"... and when we got to the room, we were told that I was to take the fortune and Flora, but the village would shut down after we did this. Flora didn't want the fortune, so we left it there, as Flora wanted her village to stay the same. And we went to London, and Flora has been with me ever since."

Celeste smiled. "That is a wonderful thing you have done for that girl. After all, a child's future isn't always determined by the background they originate from, but also the one they have now. There are some people who went through horrific ordeals, such as Flora, and they have grown up to lead very happy and fulfilling lives. Adoption is a wonderful thing. It provides great opportunities for children to have another chance at having a good life. Take Emmeline here."

Emmy froze.

"Her mother passed away and her father left, but it wasn't all over for her. Bronev took very good care of her and nurtured her to become the wonderful person sitting before us. Right Emmeline?"

Emmy blushed and didn't say anything.

The professor smiled and nodded. "Indeed. She certainly is one of the most capable young girls of her age I have ever met." Layton smiled at Emmy and she smiled back, her blush only increasing. "He taught you to fight, didn't he?"

Emmy nodded. "Yes, he had to... for Targent."

"And my foster parents took good care of me when I was growing up, and without them I wouldn't be the person I am today," the professor said.

"Exactly!" Celeste smiled.

The waiter came over, notebook in hand. "May I take your orders?"

"Yes," Celeste said. "All this talking has certainly increased my appetite. Three menu's, please."

The waiter nodded and walked away.

"Oi! Layton!" an all too familiar voice called.

Layton turned around. Emmy sighed heavily.

"Why, inspector Grosky! What a surprise!"

"I asked at the Triton residence and they said you'd be here. Oh ho! Emmy too! You look much better, Emmy, now that the swelling has gone down. I'm sure you'll be back to your chipper old self in no time."

Emmy forced a smile on her face, which Grosky returned.

"Anyway, I've come about those girls who found the murder victim. There's a bit of a problem."

"Oh?" the professor asked.

"Their now saying that the girl was never dead and that she is walking around town at this very moment! Why, I've never heard the likes of it!"

Layton smiled. "I'm afraid that there is a very complicated story to this."

"As usual," Emmy smiled.

"You ee, an ancient spirit by the name of Jai of birth and rebirth has taken possession of the body in order to stop Vaughan from finding a burial ground which has the potential to ruin lives. She wants to protect the world from the wrath of this place, but Vaughan apparently has other ideas."

"What?" Grosky exclaimed.

"We did warn you," Emmy chuckled.

"So the girl is dead, but the body is being controlled by a different person?"

"Well... she did say something about their personalities merging, right Professor?" Emmy asked.

"Yes, although I'm not really sure what that means."

"Oh, but that's not all! The girls also said that they saw a man hovering around nearby when they found the body. And he was holding a gun."

"The murderer?" Celeste asked incredulously.

"I'd say so!" Grosky exclaimed.

"Did you get a description of this man?" Layton asked.

"Bits and pieces, but not much. I need to get a sketch artist to work with them. Well, Emmy, how about it?"

"What? Um..."

"We can get someone from the police station," Celeste said firmly. "Emmeline has only just gotten out of hospital after all—"

"I can do it tomorrow, if you like," Emmy offered.

"Perfect! I'll call them and arrange to meet them at the school. I'll get them taken out of class and you can work with them there. Also, how goes your lead, Layton?"

"Lead? What lead?" Emmy asked.

"Ah," Layton said. "Well, I can't say that I have gotten very far with that. My documents were, how do I put this... disposed of?"

"What?" Emmy asked. "How?"

"Your uncle."

Celeste froze.

"Bronev?" Grosky asked angrily. "Why, I—"

"I'll talk to him later," Emmy said quickly.

Grosky checked his watch. "Shoot! I'm on resistance watch in ten minutes! I've got to run, I'll see you Emmy!" and he sped off.

Emmy sighed heavily.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Celeste laughed.

Emmy smiled. "It's not that I don't like him, it's just he can be a bit... overwhelming at times. That's all."

"Elaborate on that," Celeste smirked.

Emmy turned pink. "Well... his kind of..."

"Yes?"

Emmy shook her head. "No. Nothing."

Celeste smiled knowingly.

The waiter returned with menus. "Here you are ladies, gentleman," he said handing out menus.

"Thank you," Celeste said.

"I'll leave you to select your meal. Will it be three or one course?"

"One," Celeste said. "This place is bloody expensive," she whispered as the waiter walked off again.

Layton smiled and Emmy laughed.

"So, Hershel, you said earlier that you had questions that you needed answering about the Grounds of Rebirth and the likes."

"Yes," the professor said. "Bronev mentioned that he had done some research on it about ten years ago. Did his investigation get any information o the grounds themselves, such as a rough guideline area of where to find it, or a location of one of the renaissance artefacts?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Bronev never really spoke very much about that particular topic. He only ever mentioned it to me shortly before I came to this town. Emmeline, take the roast lamb, you're very pale and I think you could do with some iron."

Emmy jumped. "Um... yes, doctor."

"I'll have the same," the professor said, smiling at Emmy.

"Right," Celeste said and she beckoned the waiter over. "We'll have three of the roast lamb, n exclusions."

"Right you are," the waiter said and he scurried off.

"Anyway, Emmeline, you were there when Leon was investigating, weren't you?" Celeste asked her.

"Yes," Emmy replied, "But I was never allowed to take part in the investigation, as he wanted me to focus on my English speaking skills."

"Yes, of course," Celeste nodded. "But do you remember him ever actually finding anything?"

Emmy frowned. "I... I think he got a rough area of some artefact, but I'm not sure if it was a renaissance artefact or not. It was supposedly around the school and the lodge, around there."

"It's a start," the professor said as the waiter came with their food. The three thanked him and began to eat.

"Are there any other questions you would like to ask me?" Celeste asked.

"Well..." the professor cleared his throat. He looked uncertainly at Emmy.

"Oh ..." Emmy said awkwardly. "Um... do you want me to go, Professor?"

"Er..."

"Why on earth would he want you to do that?" Celeste asked.

"Well... he may want to talk to you... in private."

"Erm..." the professor trailed off again.

"I think I'll leave you both to it for now. I'll be in the restroom." Emmy left, her dinner still only half eaten.

The professor cleared his throat. "Have you noticed that Emmy has been acting... out of character lately?"

"Er... why?" Celeste asked suspiciously.

"Well, she seems to be a lot quieter than she used to be. She appears to have a lot on her mind. Is she alright?" Layton asked.

"As far as I know, she is fine," Celeste said coolly.

"Is that why you have been prescribing her with medication?"

Celeste dropped her fork. It landed with a clatter on the table. She didn't bother to pick it up. She just stared at Layton.

"And even if I was, that would be any of your business because...?"

"Not only that, but I noticed tha Bronev got Emmy to trade places with an acquaintance of his last night when we went to see Vaughan, or the man we perceived as Vaughan."

"H-How did you know—" Celeste stammered.

"Last night, I was speaking to Emmy, shortly before we left. She was as white as a sheet and was almost shaking. She looked closed to tears and when I asked her if she was alright, she shook her head. And yet, when she came back downstairs, she seemed perfectly fine. A dramatic change in demeanour, considering how she was only up there for two minutes at most?"

Celeste sat back, speechless.

"And Emmy has not been the only one acting suspiciously. Bronev has also been extremely quiet about his whole situation and most of the time; he refuses to let Emmy out of his sight, even though Emmy is now a fully grown woman. Does he still not believe that she can look after herself? Or is he afraid that she wil let something slip?"

"No," Celeste said firmly. "It's not what you're thinking, Hershel."

"Then what is it? Does Emmy know something? Did something happen to her?"

Celeste said nothing.

"Bronev mentioned before that Emmy knows Vaughan. How?"

Celeste sighed. "I want to tell you, I really do, but I made a promise to Emmeline that I would not, as did Bronev. You do not understand the position that we are in. Emmeline, she is ashamed. Embarrassed. Her experiences with that man did some terrible things to her, physically and psychologically. I'm afraid that is all I can say for the time being. I'm sorry, Hershel."

The professor looked behind him and saw that Emmy was returning from the restroom. He forced a smile on his face as she returned to her seat.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Celeste lied. "Everything's fine. Are you both finished here? If so, I would like to get back, as it is growing rather late."

"Yes," Layton said.

They got up and Celeste went to pay the bill. Emmy turned to the professor.

"Is everything alright Professor?" she asked. She looked very worried.

"Don't worry, my dear, everything is fine," he smiled.

"Even... earlier..." Emmy mumbled. She went pink.

"Hmm?"

"The kiss..."

"Oh."

They both blushed. Layton smiled.

"Perhaps... we could do it again sometime..."

He turned a deep shade of scarlet and pulled his hat over his eyes. Emmy blushed crimson and began to laugh.

Celeste returned and gave Emmy a funny look. "What are you laughing at?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing, doctor," Emmy replied, winking at the professor. "It was a private joke. You really had to be there to get it..."


	12. the sword points the way

Chapter 11 – the sword points the way

"Is she here yet?" Luke asked yet again. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Luke sighed. Again. "But it's been ages," he moaned. "I want her to be here now."

Bronev checked his phone and smiled. It was a text from Emmy. _We'll be here soon_, it read. Bronev turned to Luke.

"Don't worry, boy. I just got a message from her. She's on her way."

Luke jumped up from his seat and ran to the window, as did Flora, Aurora, and Aldaz. Brenda smiled. "A watched kettle never boils," she laughed.

There was a knock on the door and Luke jumped up again.

"That's her!" he cried. Luke ran out f the room and opened the door hurriedly.

"Oh," he said rather disappointedly. "Hello, Jai. Or is it Sinead? I'm confused."

"Nope, still Sinead," the girl replied. "Jai told me to come back and wait until she comes back so that she can do watch later."

"Okay," Luke said, stepping aside to let her in. "What have you been up to?"

"Getting chips, like I wanted to earlier before I got shot," Sinead replied, following Luke to the living room. Luke chuckled and offered Sinead a seat, which she gratefully accepted. Luke turned to the others.

"Everyone, this is the actual girl who got shot. Sinead. Jai's gone for now, but apparently she'll be back later."

"Are you hungry Sinead?" Brenda asked.

"No, that's why I ran out so fast earlier. I wanted to get to the chipper before it closed," Sinead replied, making everyone else laugh. "Though I suppose I'll have to eat for both me and Jai, as she doesn't eat at all, ever."

"Why?" Flora asked.

"Search me," Sinead replied, stretching. "I don't know how she can run around all over the show without eating, though. I can't and we've both got the same body, for crying out loud. I can't even miss breakfast without my stomach going ape on me."

Xavier laughed. "You sound like Emmy. She can barely go an hour without eating."

"And rightly so," Sinead said.

There was another knock on the door and Luke got up again. "Hopefully it's Emmy this time," he thought.

He opened the door to find that it was Emmy, accompanied by the professor and Celeste.

"Emmy!" he cried, running out the door and jumping up into her arms.

Emmy laughed and held him close. "Good to see you too, apprentice number one."

Luke let go of her and smiled. "Are you okay?" he noticed the swelling on her face and a worried expression spread across his face.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks," Emmy said in response to his expression. "Why don't we go inside?"

Luke stepped out of the way and the professor, Emmy and Celeste all entered the house and into the living room. Brenda stood up as soon as Emmy entered.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked, giving Emmy a hug.

"Much better, thank you," Emmy replied happily, hugging her back.

Brenda let go of her and smiled.

Carla got up and went over to Emmy. "Hey, Emmy," she said.

Emmy beamed and threw herself into Carla's arms. They laughed happily, rocking each other.

"How are you? I never got to ask earlier because I was so out of it!" Emmy said.

"I'm good. Antonio has gone out to book us some rooms in a hotel, but he'll be back later," Carla replied, letting go of Emmy.

Emmy held her at arm's length and grinned. She spotted Aldaz and Xavier hovering in the background and smiled. She beckoned them over and pulled them both into a group hug. Xavier pulled a rotten face, but Aldaz beamed. Emmy laughed, noticing Xavier's expression, and let go of them, but Aldaz held onto her. She smiled and wrapped her arms back around him.

"I've really missed you, Emmy," he whispered.

"I've missed you too," she whispered back. She kissed him on the forehead. She then looked around again. "Hi Flora!" she said, noticing the little girl hovering around awkwardly in the background.

"Hi Emmy!" Flora said brightly. She walked over to Emmy.

Emmy finally let go of Aldaz to give Flora a hug. Flora smiled, hugging her back.

The professor smiled at the pair. Emmy beamed at him over Flora's shoulder.

Emmy let go of Flora and turned back to Carla. "So where's Vinnie?" she said.

"At the hotel in Glanmire where he's staying," Carla replied. "But I'm afraid the situation is worse than we anticipated."

"What do you mean?"

"Monica and Stacey Monroe are both here to make your life that little bit happier," Bronev said sarcastically.

Emmy groaned audibly as Celeste and Bronev laughed.

"What's she doing here?" Emmy moaned. "Doesn't she know where she's not wanted? First she nicks my boyfriend then she comes to rub my nose in it!"

"Ah, stop whining Emmy," Xavier grinned. "It could be a lot worse, you know."

"How?" Emmy sulked.

"You could have no boyfriend and look like Monica!"

"Xavi, don't be so rude!" Carla snapped as Emmy doubled over with laughter.

"Hey, that's good; can I use that one on her?" Emmy asked, trying to regain her composure.

"Sure," Xavier grinned.

Carla smiled. "It may be rude, but by God does she deserve it."

"Anyway," Bronev cut in. "Emmeline, you have had a long journey. I really think you should be resting."

"Yeah," Emmy said and she sat down on the sofa next to Sinead.

"I'd better be off," Celeste said. "I need to check on the other resistance sectors to see if they've got their rotas sorted yet."

"Okay. I'll probably see you tomorrow," Bronev said.

"Bye Doctor. Thank you for everything," Emmy said.

Celeste smiled at Emmy and left.

"I wonder what the press have got to say for themselves," Brenda said, turning on the TV to the news channel.

"_... and we have been told that several inspectors from Scotland yard have been sent on behalf of the British government to aid Bronev in his investigation into the whereabouts of this man. His true identity and motives are at present unclear, but as they have the assistance of one Professor Hershel Layton..."_

"That's you, Professor!" Luke said excitedly.

"_... then we're sure that the government will have the answers that they are searching for soon. We now go live to our news correspondent, Sarah Finnegan._

"_thank you. We are live outside of the burnt down Jameson's warehouse on the outskirts of the town Midleton, where a young woman was held captive last night..."_

"Emmy!" Luke exclaimed.

"_... by the name of Emmeline Bronev. Police have informed us that Emmeline was admitted to hospital with multiple stab wounds and severe bruising to her face..."_

"One stab wound," Emmy scoffed.

"_... There were three men left unconscious at the scene, who each suffered from bruising and burns from the blast, which took place shortly before Miss Bronev was rescued by police..."_

"What the fuck!" Sinead exclaimed. "It was Jai who saved her, not the police! What a bunch of glory-hoggers!"

"_... and sent to hospital. Several of the man's henchmen were arrested by police after the incident, who were seen in the vicinity of the warehouse after the blast, so it was assumed by police that it was them who blew it up in an attempt to assassinate Miss Bronev..."_

"But I thought it was you two who blew up that warehouse?" Carla asked.

"It was," Xavier said. "But at least we got away with it."

"_... the locals are evidently shocked at the events that took place here. One local has said that he "has never seen the likes of this in all the twenty-five years he has lived in this town." The police are working tirelessly alongside the resistance in order to find this man and stop his serious actions and to prevent anyone else from being harmed."_

"Jesus," Sinead said incredulously. "Half of that was a crock of shit. All that about the police doing all the work and they didn't even mention Jai, Carla or Antonio! Bastards!"

"I agree," Emmy said. "They're just twisting it in order to make them look good. It's a disgrace."

"Well, I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done about that for the time being," the professor said. "But we must prepare for what Vaughan has in store next."

"What's the plan?" Luke said determinedly.

"We need more information o the Grounds of Rebirth. Emmy mentioned that you found a rough location on one of the renaissance artefacts, Bronev. Do you remember anything about it?"

"Yes," Bronev replied. "There was one rumoured to be hidden around this area, around the school and the lodge. But I dug up and searched numerous places in the vicinity and I found nothing. But..."he looked at Aurora. "Maybe you can change that."

Everyone turned to Aurora.

"No," she said. "I can't. Jai said that no human will be able to find it."

"But you can?" Flora asked. "We need to find it before he does, Aurora, or many people can be put in danger by the affects of him using them."

"I know," Aurora said. "But the temptation of using it... it may be too much for you."

"We will not use it, we just want to keep it from Vaughan," the professor explained.

"That is not good enough," Aurora said sadly. "I want to help, I really do, but Jai told me not to."

"Yeah," Sinead said suddenly. "She's saying it now. She's telling me to stop you."

"What do you mean?" Bronev asked sharply.

"I..."Sinead trailed off. " I think she wants to come back." She suddenly went pale. "I'll be back."

And she ran out of the room.

"What on earth?" Emmy exclaimed, but Sinead re-entered the room before she could finish.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I'm back. I'm Jai. And as I was saying to the girl, you must not meddle with the locations of the artefacts. It is dangerous."

"Listen," the professor said. "We will not use them. We will not even touch them if you do not wish us to do so. We only want them to be out of Vaughan's reach. We need to find them."

"No," Jai said firmly.

"Please," the professor said. "I implore you to help us. Please. You will be the only person to touch those artefacts, you will be in charge. We will do exactly as you say. We only want to help.

Jai thought about it. She sighed.

"Rachel Bronev... Claire Folley... Juanita Van De Garde... Paloma and Daniel Chovanek... all of these people are dead and gone, never to be brought back."

"We know," the professor said.

Jai sighed again. "Fine," she said.

Aurora's eyes widened. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Yes," Jai said, but she looked uncertain. "Although I feel as though I am making a horrific mistake."

"You aren't," the professor reassured her.

"... alright. But if everything goes wrong, which I am more than certain it will, it is not my fault?"

"No," Bronev said.

Jai sighed yet again. "Fine." And she pulled a large knife out of her pocket. She held it out to Layton. "Do not touch," she warned. "No human can touch this."

"Right," he said, studying it as carefully as he could in Jai's hands. "I believe that this is Azran inscription, is it not?"

Bronev stepped forward t get a better look at it. "It certainly is of Azran style," he murmured. "Where did you find this?"

"Under the school," Jai replied. "There is an underground chamber beneath the school, which can be opened by the chant of the emissary."

"Aurora?" Emmy asked. It suddenly dawned on her. "Is that where you two went before?"

"Yes," Jai said. "We knew you were following us, so we lost you and went to collect it before Vaughan discovered its location."

"But why did you keep this from us?" Emmy asked. "Do you really not trust us?"

"No, I don't," Jai said, "But that's not the only reason. I thought I could prevent what is to come, but I cannot. The only way you humans will learn of the true nature of the Grounds of Rebirth is if you experience it firsthand. That is how I learned, that is how the Azran learned, and that is how you must learn also. I cannot save you. The darkness souls have warned me of this. I must aid you in finding the artefacts, but only if you truly desire this. It is evident that you do."

"But –" Aurora began.

"No, Aurora. We cannot tell them of those horrors. To understand, really understand, they must see it for themselves."

"How do we find them?" Bronev asked.

"This sword," Jai said, "is the key to it all. It is written in the inscription."

Desmond looked at it. "_... sword... the way... the sword... points... the way." _He looked at Jai. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The sword is key to finding the artefacts," Jai explained. "The sword is not an artefact, as such, it is the tool used to find them. The Azran invented it after their experience with the Grounds of Rebirth."

"And how can one sword help you to find all the artefacts?" Emmy asked.

"It is simple," Jai said. "When you expose the sword to sunlight, a ray of light emits from it and whichever direction it points in is the location of the nearest artefact."

"Hence, the sword points the way," Desmond said, intrigued. "How very elaborate."

"We must inform Celeste of this breakthrough," Bronev said firmly. "We must also get a group together and set off first thing tomorrow. It is crucial that we get those artefacts as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Desmond said.

Bronev left the room, phone in hand, ready to call Celeste. Emmy followed.

"Come, Raymond. We must repack and prepare for the journey ahead."

"As will I," the professor said. "Randall, Henry and Angela will be coming tonight. I'm sure Randall and Henry will be coming on our trip as well."

"I'm going too," Luke said.

"No," the professor said.

Luke's face fell. "Why not?"

"The professor is right," Jai said. "I don't think any of the children should go. It is perilous out there. Too dangerous for any child. I would strongly advise you to send the fewest number of people out there as possible."

"Right," Desmond said. "Layton, Bronev and I will go. Randall and Henry will say behind and do research."

"And Emmy has been ordered by Superintendant Grosky do act as a sketch artist with the two girls who found the body, so I think she ought to stay behind as well," the professor said.

"I will go," Clark said firmly.

"No," Brenda snapped.

Everyone turned to look at Brenda. Usually she was very quiet and never raised her voice but this was a different situation.

"I won't let you put yourself in danger Clark. I love you too much to lose you, and so does Luke. Please stay." She looked terribly upset.

Clark sighed. "But I have to do something. Anything. That man tried to hurt Luke. My son."

"And you're already doing enough, what with covering watch and everything else. Jai said that it's dangerous out there and it's bad enough that Hershel is going out there, never mind you."

"I will protect all that accompany me on this journey," Jai said. "But I can't always be there."

"Then I'll have to take that risk," Clark said. "Brenda—"

"No," she said again.

Jai sighed. "Listen to me. I have only one rule when it comes to travelling with me. If the situation gets out of hand, run and leave me behind. I don't care what happens, just run and save yourselves. And if it happens that you disobey that rule and live to tell the tale, I'll kill you myself. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"I swear that I will run as soon as it gets too dangerous," Clark swore. "I promise you, Brenda."

Brenda sighed. "I can't lose you, Clark."

"You won't. I promise."

"So is he going?" Desmond asked.

Brenda nodded, a worried expression fixated to her face. Clark wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

Luke sighed. "I need to go as well."

"For God's sake, no!" Brenda yelled. "No one else is going! Bronev, Desmond, Clark and Hershel! That's it! I can't take any more worry than that! And don't you give me that look young man, the answer is no! I don't care if I have to chain you to the bedpost, you are not going and that is it! What is it with you men, throwing yourselves into danger at a seconds notice?"

Emmy and Bronev returned, looking confused. "What's with all the yelling?" Emmy asked.

"Luke wants to go and find the artefact," Flora said angrily. "And so does the professor. But I don't want anyone to go. What if they get killed? The professor is all I've got!" she looked close to tears.

The professor put an arm around Flora. "I'll be fine. I will run as soon as it even appears to be dangerous. I promise you Flora. I'll be back as soon as we get the artefact."

Flora sniffed.

"I think it may be best if I go alone," Jai suggested. "You all have loved ones here whereas I have none."

"No," the professor said. "We will accompany you and help you find your way. As a gentleman, it is my duty to help a young lady."

"And as the emissary of birth and rebirth, it is my duty to protect your race from the supernatural," Jai pointed out. "I have made my decision. Come if you must, but stay at a reasonable distance from the artefact until it is in my possession. If you neglect to follow this rule, I will not be responsible for what happens."

"Alright," the professor said reluctantly.

"So, they won't be in any danger?" Flora asked, wiping her eyes.

"As long s they stay where I tell them, no. They will be perfectly safe."

"Then I can go too?" Luke said hopefully.

"NO!" Brenda snapped.

"So myself, Bronev, Layton and Clark it is," Desmond clarified. "Oh, Emmy, you will have to stay here and do the sketch art for the two girls. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Emmy said. She looked worriedly at Bronev.

"I will be there for archaeological purposes only. I will be fine," Bronev reassured her.

Emmy nodded, still worried.

"We will set off tomorrow at eight o'clock. We will meet here," Bronev decided.

"Right. Raymond and I will take our leave," Desmond said. "Good day to you all." And he and Raymond left.

"So, this time tomorrow, we will be one step ahead of Vaughan?" Luke asked.

"Precisely," Jai said. "This time tomorrow, the sword, as it said, will point the way."

* * *

"So how long will it be until we get there?"

"I'm not sure, master Randall. Another fifteen minutes at least."

Randall sighed. He was worried about his best friend and wondered if her was alright. Angela sensed this and put her arms around him.

"Don't worry, Randy. Hershel is probably fine. He can handle himself. Don't worry."

"I know, Angie. But I can't help but worry. That situation sounds very dodgy to me, and that one about Emmy getting kidnapped and held in a warehouse. It was all over the news."

"But they said that the police rescued her and that she's in hospital now. She must be fine."

Randall didn't reply, but remained worried for the rest of the drive. He only looked up when they pulled up in the estate. He grabbed his bags and quickly got out of the car.

He ran to number 12 as fast as he could, with Angela in hot pursuit. He knocked on the door hastily.

The door opened and there stood Luke. "Mr. Ascot! Angela!" he exclaimed. "The professor will be delighted!"

Randall let out a huge sigh of relief, as did Angela.

"Thank goodness! Randal's been so worried about Hershel and Emmy. We heard about what happened in that warehouse on the news! How is Emmy?"

Yeah, she's loads better. She's out of hospital and everything! Come in, the professor's probably dying to see you!" Luke led the way to the living room.

"Professor, Randall, Henry and Angela are here!"

"Ah!" the professor beamed. "How wonderful to see you all!"

"Hersh!" Randall exclaimed, pulling the professor into a one-armed hug. "How are you, old chum?"

"Doing pretty well," the professor replied, shaking Henry's hand and kissing Angela on the cheek.

"And how is Emmy?" Angela asked. "We saw what happened on the news! Where is she?"

"Ah, she's just upstairs with Flora, Brenda and Carla, her cousin."

"I'll get her," Luke volunteered. He ran out of the room and upstairs.

"Emmy?" he called.

"In here!" he heard Emmy calling him from the spare room.

He entered to see the four of them sitting on the bed, huddled together and deep in discussion. Luke turned to Emmy. "Randall, Henry and Angela are here. They heard about what happened on the news and they're really worried about you."

"I'd better go down and see them," Emmy said, getting up. She and Luke made their way downstairs.

Brenda smiled. "She definitely fancied Hershel."

Carla grinned back. "Oh, yeah."

* * *

"Hello Angela!" Emmy said, entering the living room after Luke.

"Emmy!" Angela cried, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh my God, are you alright? We heard you'd been in hospital—"

"Don't worry, Angela, it's not half as bad as the press made it out to be," Emmy said as Angela let go of her. She rubbed her side.

"What exactly happened?" Randall asked.

"Emmeline would rather not—"

"Oh, it's fine Uncle Leon," Emmy said brightly. "Erm... the man we're after sort of kidnapped me and had me locked up in that warehouse outside of town, but Carla – my cousin, Antonio – over there—"

"Hey," Antonio saluted them.

"— and Jai here—"

Jai nodded at them.

"— came to rescue me. Jai got me out, but we were attacked and I got hurt, so I was in hospital last night and most of today. But I'm much better now." She smiled.

"That's great," Randall said, looking relieved and putting an arm around Emmy's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're alright, Emmy."

"Yeah," Emmy beamed. "Me too."

"We should all go out for dinner tomorrow night and catch up," Angela suggested.

"Ah, well, I may be back rather late, I'm afraid. We are going on an expedition to search for an artefact we think is related to the Grounds of Rebirth and it could take some time to find it."

"Ah," Angela said.

"What sort of artefact?" Randall asked.

Angela glared at him. "What ever happened to "no more expeditions" and "no more putting yourself at risk"?"

"Ah," Randall said softly. "Well—"

"We are doing the background research that is necessary and then we're going home, and that's it!" Angela snapped.

"Alright!" Randall exclaimed. "I wasn't going to go, I was just asking!"

"I know you, Randall Ascot," Angela said firmly.

Randall sighed and gave in.

The professor smiled. "Anyway, we are not sure what this artefact looks like, we are merely going on Jai's intuition here."

"The sword points the way," Jai said.

"Huh?" Randall asked.

"If you hold the sword up to the sunlight, a ray of light emits from it, pointing you to the location of the nearest artefact," Layton explained.

"Really?" Randall asked, intrigued. "Let me see."

"I'm afraid no human is allowed to touch it," the professor explained.

"The temptation to unlock the Grounds of Rebirth may be too much," Jai explained.

"So why aren't you affected?" Angela asked."

"I am not technically human, am a spirit from the material-spirit world who has come in the shape of a human to prevent the use of the Grounds of Rebirth," she explained. "I have possessed this human body to fulfil my mission with Aurora, the emissary of the Azran, who came to help me get a hold of this sword."

Aurora stood up and held out her hand to Angela, who shook it. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said.

"You too," Angela said, smiling.

Henry checked his watch. "We had better go, Master Randall, Miss Angela, we must find a hotel room before it gets too late," he said.

"Right. I'll probably see you tomorrow, Hersh. What time are you leaving?" Randall asked.

"Eight o'clock."

"Then I'll see you when you get back. Bye Hershel." He shook the professor's hand.

"Bye, Hershel," Angela smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you all. Goodbye Emmy." They hugged again. The three left.

"Well," the professor said. "I had better prepare for tomorrow."

"Let me help you, Professor," Emmy said and they went up to Luke's room.

* * *

"Do you have any news with regard to the renaissance artefacts?" Vaughan asked.

"Yes," Desmond said. "Jai of birth and rebirth has a sword, which will point the way to the first artefact."

"Excellent, she has found it," Vaughan said.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Desmond asked.

"Let her think that she's ahead oof the game. Let her get the artefacts. But when she least expects it, steal them from under her nose."

"How?" Desmond asked.

"Do not worry. You will not be alone in your post for much longer. You have an agent among you now, and I will be sending two more in due course."

"Who is among them now?"

"His name is..."


	13. Emmy's nightmare

Chapter 12 – Emmy's nightmare

"_N-No... p-please don't h-hurt me..." the little girl whimpered._

_She cowered in the corner as the man closed in on her. He had a furious expression on his face._

"_How fucking dare you..." he whispered._

"_Daddy..." she cried._

"_HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO HIM! HOW DARE YOU TELL HIM! YOU DON'T EVER TAKE SIDES AGAINST THE FAMILY! EVER!"_

_The little girl screamed as the man grabbed her and slapped her across the face._

"_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" he screamed, hitting her repeatedly._

"_DADDY NO!" the girl screamed, but the man didn't stop. Blood poured out of her nose and her face began to swell up, but the man still did not cease in hitting the girl._

"_DADDY!"_

Emmy woke with a start and sat bolt upright. She sat, gasping for air, her heart racing. Bronev rushed over to her and knelt beside her.

"Emmeline? Are you alright?" he asked gently, putting an arm around her.

Emmy sat, shaking. Bronev pulled her into a tight hug.

"Did you have another nightmare, Emmeline?" Bronev asked.

Emmy nodded.

Bronev kissed her head and held her close. "It's alright, dear," he said gently. "It was just a bad dream. I'm here. Don't worry."

Emmy wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest. He stroked her hair and smiled. The eventually broke apart.

"Are you hungry, Uncle Leon? Do you want some breakfast?" she asked.

"I'll do it. You go back to sleep for a while. Where are your pills?" he asked.

"In my bag with my camera."

Bronev opened her bag and removed the pills. He opened the box and counted them. He smiled.

"Good girl. Everything's good here." He kissed her on the cheek. "You lie down again. I'll bring in your breakfast." He got up and left.

Emmy groaned and lay back down again. She rubbed her sore ribs and ran her fingers over her cut up arms. She sighed. "I hate you," she thought miserably. "I hope Uncle Leon kills you for what you've done."

"How is she this morning?" Celeste asked, sipping her coffee.

"Not too good. I think she's having night terrors again. Probably brought on by the kidnapping."

Celeste sighed. "Are you sure you want to bring down her dose? She still seems very unwell."

"She doesn't like those pills. She gets sick taking them," Bronev replied. "What do they even do for her that's good?"

"They take the edge off," Celeste replied. "They're not called anti-anxiety pills for nothing, you know."

"Mmm," Bronev said, taking a seat beside Celeste. "I don't like her taking them. If Layton finds out she's on medication, it'll only make him even more suspicious."

"He already knows," Celeste.

Bronev froze.

"What do you mean, he already knows?" he demanded. "Who told him?"

"I think he saw you giving them to her the night before last," Celeste replied. "Either way, he's not going to drop it."

Bronev sighed angrily. "He won't stop until he has this pinned on Emmeline or me."

"He's not trying to pin it on anyone, he just wants the facts," Celeste said tiredly.

"And all that about Paloma's file—"

"— was just him trying to get all of the facts," Celeste explained. "He thinks that Vaughan and the fire are linked somehow. That's his intuition. He's also noticed that Emmy is terrified of Vaughan and that you are acting strangely. Don't you think he'll get the information he needs and put two and two together? It'll be easier all round if you just tell him what happened to Paloma."

"No," Bronev said. "Never. Emmeline doesn't want him to know what she thinks is the truth, and I can't let the truth get back to her either."

"She will find out one day, you know," Celeste said quietly. "And it may not be you or me who will tell her."

Bronev sighed. "I know," he replied, "But what am I supposed to do? I can't just come out with something like that, it'd kill her. Literally."

Celeste also sighed. "How on earth do you get yourself into these situations, Bronev?"

"I don't know," Bronev said. "I suppose it's just Targent, still coming back to ruin my life, and Emmeline's too. I really thought she would be alright once Targent was over. She was showing massive signs of improvement. She was so happy... so free... and then I messed things up."

"How were you supposed to know that he would come back and hurt her like that?" Celeste asked.

"I should never have left her side like that," Bronev said. "I should never have gotten sent to prison. I should have just given up on Targent and focussed on her, like a good father should."

Celeste reached over and patted his hand. "You weren't to know. No one was. None of this is your fault."

Bronev sighed miserably.

"But you can fix this. If you tell Layton, he can help you to stop Vaughan. Just tell him. Please. For Emmeline."

Bronev said nothing.

"I'll make the breakfast," Celeste said, "and you go and sit with her. I'll bring it in to you."

"Thank you." Bronev went back to Emmy. Celeste sighed heavily and set about making breakfast.

Bronev went back to the living room. He looked in to see that Emmy was still awake. She smiled as he entered. He sat next to her and smiled back.

"Celeste is doing the breakfast," he said, playing with a strand of Emmy's hair.

Emmy nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you all better now?" he asked.

Emmy nodded.

"Good. Will you be alright without me today?"

Emmy shrugged.

Bronev frowned. "What's the matter, my dear?"

"Nothing."

"Now Emmeline," Bronev said, "You know by now that I can always tell if there is something wrong with you. Come on. You can tell me. You can tell me anything."

Emmy sighed.

"Hmm?" Bronev leaned in so close to her that their faces were touching.

"It's just..." tears started to roll down her cheeks. " It's... that stupid dream..."

Bronev held her tighter and began to rock her back and forth. "There now, it's alright. Do you want to talk about it?"

She nodded. "It was... th-the same as before... where he was yelling at me and hi-hitting me..."

Bronev kissed her on the cheek. "Its okay, Emmeline. I won't let him hurt you. Do you want me to stay behind today?"

Emmy shook her head. "You need to do this," she said shakily. "I... I don't want to take that away from you."

"Take what away from me?" Bronev asked.

"You love archaeology. You love finding artefacts. I know you, Uncle Leon. I know that you want to do this, not just for the case, but for you. You have to go."

Bronev smiled. "Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you for thinking of me when you're going through so much yourself. This is why I love you. Because you deserve it. Because you're so kind and brave and beautiful..." he kissed her again.

Emmy smiled and held him tighter.

"Emmeline..." he trailed off.

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel... if I told the professor about Vaughan?"

Bronev knew he had made a mistake when he felt Emmy tense up in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Emmeline... but he has to know sometime... he'll find out anyway..."

"No," Emmy whispered. "Please..."

"Emmeline," he said gently. "I know what you're going through, and I know it's hard, but... you know the professor, he'll put the pieces together, he always does. He... he thinks you've been acting strangely of late, and he suspects me and Celeste, and he saw you taking your pills..."

Bronev stopped as Emmy began to cry into his jacket. He sighed and held her tighter.

"If you still don't want me to, then I won't," Bronev whispered. "But he will find out, they all will."

"I know," Emmy sobbed. "It's just... I'm... I'm not ready..."

"I understand," Bronev whispered comfortingly. "But we will have to tell him eventually. Do you understand?"

Emmy nodded, wiping her eyes.

"When you feel that the time is right, you come and find me and we'll tell him together. Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

"I..." Emmy trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I... I don't want anyone to think of me differently. They all think I'm fine... that I'm normal... but I'm not... I'll never be okay..." Emmy began to sob again.

Bronev kissed her forehead. "Shh," he whispered. "Please don't be like that Emmeline. Everything will be okay. Everything will work out after we've finished. After he's gone, we'll finally be free. No more lies, no more secrets. Everything will be out in the open."

"But ... I don't want the professor to think I'm weak..."

"You shouldn't care about what he thinks, or what anyone else thinks," Bronev told her firmly. "If they're really your friends, they'll love you for who you are now, not who you once were. Like I do." He kissed her again.

"But I do care about what he thinks," Emmy sobbed.

"Why?"

"Because... because I..."

"Breakfast is ready," a voice called.

Bronev turned to see Celeste at the doorway. She frowned.

"Emmeline, are you alright?"

"She'll be fine after she's had her breakfast and pills," Bronev said sharply. He let go of Emmy, who wiped her eyes again. Bronev took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. Emmy wiped her face.

"Come Emmeline, let's eat." Bronev took her hand and led her to the kitchen.

Celeste sighed heavily. "This is getting far too complicated," she thought.


	14. Perilous Journey of Dangerous Heights 1

Chapter 13 – A Perilous Journey of Dangerous Heights and Proportions – Part 1

Jai sat up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She checked Sinead's watch. It was six thirty. She got up and hurried downstairs, grabbing the sword on her way out.

She entered the kitchen and Emmy, Bronev and Celeste looked up.

"Hello... er... Jai?" Emmy asked.

Jai nodded curtly.

"Er... Okay... how are you this morning?" Emmy asked awkwardly.

Jai nodded again, meaning that she was fine.

"Er... good. Would you like some breakfast? I can make you something."

"No."

"Erm... okay."

"Where are the others?" Jai asked sharply. "We are going in one and a half hours. We must prepare."

"What do you have in mind?" Bronev asked. "Do you know what is to come?"

"I have an idea, but that is for me to know," Jai replied. "You will be staying in the car with the others, remember?"

"Of course," Bronev replied, "But I can still help you to prepare."

"Well, firstly, we will need a first aid kit, as I may not be in the best state when I come back," Jai said. "And I will also need a crossbow, or something I can shoot with."

"Why?" Emmy asked.

"That is for me to know," Jai replied.

Emmy's phone beeped. She checked it.

"Desmond is on his way."

"Good," Jai sat down.

Emmy looked at her, concerned. "Are you sure you should be going today? You look so... pale."

"Yes, you do," Celeste agreed, studying her face. "Your skin looks... grey. You look horribly ill. Maybe you should go back to bed."

"No. I must go. I am the only one who can do this."

"Says who?" Emmy asked.

"Says you," Jai retorted. "Bronev here can't do it because you're too scared of losing him. The Professor can't do it because Flora's too scared of losing him. Clark Triton can't do it because his family need him to come back alive and Desmond Sycamore can't do it because I can tell just by looking at him that he's a cowardly little shit who will run as soon as he takes one look at the situation. Now do you understand? You all fear death, whereas I do not. Therefore, I must do it alone."

"But what about Sinead?" Emmy asked furiously. "Don't tell me that she's not afraid of dying out there, because that's exactly what will happen! Who's to say that you won't get that body destroyed out there? And I really don't think that Sinead will be all too pleased to find that she has no body to return to when she wakes up, you know. I could tell by looking at her yesterday. That poor girl is scared for her life and you're just taking advantage of her body. I think that's sick."

"And what about you? You know Vaughan's true identity, and yet you decide to keep it from everyone else, just in case your precious ego gets destroyed from the truth. I really do not find that a very appealing trait in a person, you know."

Emmy's face fell. Celeste gasped. Bronev froze.

"H-how do you—"

"I know about you," Jai said calmly. "Vaughan told me everything, shortly before he agreed to get me this body. He told me about what you did, Bronev, and frankly, I don't find that very appealing either."

"Shut up," Bronev hissed.

"What do you mean by that?" Emmy demanded.

"What do you mean by keeping the truth from everyone? What exactly do you stand to gain? That is only making everything easier for Vaughan. He knows that they don't know, and he will use this knowledge to get to you. All three of you. And it also helps him to keep his motives covered up. Tell me, how is this helping the resistance?"

Emmy opened her mouth to reply, but she stopped as she heard someone coming downstairs. The professor entered the kitchen with Luke in tow.

"Good morning, "the professor said.

Luke looked at Emmy with an odd expression on his face. "Um, Emmy, are you okay? You look really angry."

"Oh." Emmy forced a smile on her face. "I'm okay, Luke. Thank you for asking."

The professor sat down at the table and Luke stood behind him. "So what is going on?" he asked.

"We need to prepare for our journey," Jai replied. "We need first aid and food. You will be very hungry on your journey."

"So will you, refusing your breakfast," Emmy muttered.

Jai ignored her. "I also need a weapon. A crossbow or a gun."

Bronev removed a pistol from his jacket and slid it across the table.

"Bigger than that," Jai said. "Like a harpoon gun."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry if I don't keep a harpoon gun in my jacket pocket," Bronev snapped.

"I forgive you, although try to have one at the ready in future," Jai smirked.

Luke snickered at this.

Jai got up and made for the back door.

"Where are you going?" Bronev demanded.

"Out to the lodge," Jai replied. "I'll have to do with a makeshift crossbow. I'll be back within the hour." She opened the door and left.

Bronev and Celeste glared after her. The professor cleared his throat.

"I'm sure Brenda has a first aid kit in one of those cupboards over there." The professor pointed.

"I'll get it," Emmy offered, opening the door of the nearest cupboard.

"I still think I should come," Luke scoffed.

"No, Luke," the professor said sternly. "You heard how upset your mother was last night."

"And besides, you have school today," Emmy teased. "And I'll be there too. I'm questioning those girls, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Can you come with me to all my classes and distract the teachers for the whole class so that we get no homework? I hate homework," Luke said.

The professor and Emmy laughed.

"Now, Luke, a true gentleman always respects the decisions of his teachers. If your teachers think it necessary to give you homework, then I think you should respect their decision."

"But we get _loads,_" Luke moaned. "Personally, I think the teachers should have more respect for their student's lives outside of school. I mean, we have better things to be doing with our day than homework."

Emmy chuckled lightly. "Well, he does have a point there, Professor. Don't worry, Luke. I'll distract them." Emmy winked.

Luke grinned at her as there was a knock on the door.

"That'll be Desmond," Emmy said, leaving to get the door.

She returned a moment later accompanied by Desmond and a woman, who looked around the professor's age and had brown hair and blue eyes.

"Hello, Desmond," the professor smiled. "And hello, young lady. Who might you be?"

The woman smiled. "Don't you remember me, Hershel?"

The professor frowned, struggling to remember and shrugged.

"I can't say that I recall. Can you enlighten me?"

"It's me. Andrea McIntyre. From your lectures at university."

The professor smiled and nodded. "Of course. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you," she smiled. "I'm here to assist you in your research of the grounds of rebirth. The Azran are truly a facinating race, wouldn't you say?"

"Why, yes," the professor agreed. "They are far more advanced than any other civilisation known to man."

"I heard from Desmond here that you have a known member of their civilisation roight her in this house," she said. "And I wondered if I may be able to ask her a few questions?"

"Er… but of course," the professor said. "She's upstairs in bed, but I'm sure she'll be up soon."

Right on cue, Aurora entered the room.

"Where is Jai?" she asked. "I must speak with her."

"She has gone out for the minute, but I'm sure she will be back soon," Celeste reassured her.

"Jai?" Andrea asked.

"Ah," the professor cleared his throat, but Andrea interrupted him.

"Is Jai another Azran girl?" she asked.

"Ah, well, I'm not sure—"

"No," Aurora replied. "Jai is from a different civilisation. One far older and more advanced than the Azran."

Andrea's eyes widened. "Really?" she gasped. "Another civilisation... Desmond, did you know about this?"

"No," Desmond frowned. "I had no idea that there was a higher civilisation than the Azran."

"Yes," Aurora said. "There was one before the Azran and there was one before that, and so on. Jai comes from the first ever fully developed civilisation. She does not consider herself human, as her people were not as evolved as we are. They were closer to the apes than to humans. What is it you call them...Neanderthals? But they were an extremely intellectual race. They were able to predict the future just by looking carefully at the conditions of the scenarios they faced. Jai told me all about it, and of other races. They certainly have fascinating stories to tell."

"Indeed, it sounds as much," the professor nodded, intrigued.

Jai re-entered the back door quickly. "I got everything much faster than expected." She had multiple branches and stones in her hands. "I must work quickly." And she set them down on the kitchen table.

Aurora sighed. "Must you do that on the table on which they are about to eat?" she asked tiredly.

Luke smiled. "No matter. We can always wash it afterwards."

"You mean _**I**_ can always wash it afterwards, mister _**I'm a boy and washing stuff is a woman's job**_," a voice came from the door.

Luke jumped and spun around to face his mother standing haughtily at the kitchen door with his father hovering awkwardly in the background.

"Um... uh..."

Emmy sniggered.

"No, mum, I'll do it as soon as Jai's finished. You sit down."

Brenda grinned and took a seat beside Emmy. She smiled. "Emmy, dear, you're looking so much better. Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, Brenda, thank you," Emmy smiled appreciatively.

Jai rooted around a drawer and pulled out a knife. She then proceeded to carve away at one of the branches to make it straight.

"Er... what exactly are you doing on my kitchen table?" Brenda asked uncertainly.

"I must make a weapon," Jai said firmly, not stopping her work to even look up at Brenda. "Do not worry. I will clean up this mess when I have finished."

"Okay."

"So, when are Randall and Angela coming?" Luke asked.

"I'm not sure," the professor said. "Randall said that he will probably see me when I got back, so I presume that he won't be along until around noon."

"And Grosky?" Luke asked.

"I will be meeting him later on after I get that sketch from the two girls," Emmy replied.

"Alright," Luke said.

"We'll be heading off in one hour," Jai said. She had finished the bow of her weapon and was now making arrows.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just used my pistol?" Bronev asked.

"No," Jai replied. "Your pistol only has a range of about fifty meters. My crossbow, when it is finished, will have a range of three hundred meters."

"Wow," Luke breathed.

Bronev scoffed at this.

* * *

One hour later, Jai has finished her weapon the professor, Bronev, Desmond and Clark were preparing to leave. Andrea stepped forward.

"Hershel, I would prefer it if I were to accompany you on this mission."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow that," the professor apologised.

"Let her come, you're all sitting in the car for the duration, so I suggest you accept all the company you can get," Jai said.

Desmond frowned. "What do you mean we're all staying in the car?"

"It s too dangerous. You all have loved ones here, whereas I have none. I will go and retrieve the artefact and you will wait until the coast is clear and come and get me. Understood?"

"But –" Desmond began.

"If you fail to understand, then it would be best if you stayed behind," Jai suggested.

"Understood," Desmond said quickly.

"Good. Let's press on, then."

Jai got up and headed for the car.

* * *

Flora ran up t the professor and hugged him. "Promise you will be careful," she begged, kissing him on the cheek.

"I promise," the professor smiled, kissing her back.

* * *

"You don't have to go, Clark," Brenda whispered into her husband's ear as she held him tightly.

"I must," Clark said determinedly. "Hershel needs me. You all need me."

"That's why I want you to stay."

"I'll be fine," Clark promised, letting go f his wife.

* * *

"Be careful, master," Raymond said, shaking Desmond's hand. "You too, Ms. McIntyre."

"We will, Raymond," Desmond said. "Thank you, Raymond."

"Yes, thank you very much," Andrea said, smiling.

* * *

"Emmeline?"

Emmy looked up. "Yes, Uncle Leon?"

"Are you sure you don't need me to stay here with you?"

"No, I'll be okay. Thank you." Emmy put her arms around her uncle and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and they broke apart. He then pointed at Jai.

Jai was standing by the car. She watched the others with an expression of pure annoyance on her face. Bronev smiled.

"We'd better go before this one starts lashing out," Bronev joked.

"Bye Uncle Leon," Emmy smiled, taking his hand.

"Goodbye Emmeline, dear," he said, squeezing her hand gently and walking over to the car.

* * *

Jai stood impatiently, twisting her crossbow in her hands and sighing every so often. "If you humans insist on endangering yourselves, then why don't you hurry up and get on with it?" she thought impatiently. Bronev arrived next to her. He reached out and gripped her shoulder.

"If you ever, _**ever**_, threaten my niece again," he warned, "I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands."

"Then good luck finding the rest of the artefacts without me," Jai replied expressionlessly, still watching the others.

Bronev sighed. "Why are you being like this?"

"Why aren't you telling the others the truth?" Jai asked.

"To protect Emmeline," Bronev replied, forcing himself to be calm.

"Babying her around will only make things worse in the long run," Jai warned. "It would be better to tell them now, while it's still early. We will be in this situation for a while I fear, and the longer you keep this from them, the worse it will be when the time finally comes and the less they will trust you. Including Emmeline."

Bronev sighed again.

"... But if you insist on doing things this way, you will need to put an end to Vaughan. Permanently." Jai held out her hand. "I can help you there."

"What are you planning?" Bronev asked suspiciously, ignoring Jai's hand.

Jai dropped her hand and smiled. "Why so suspicious? I m only here to stop anyone from getting hurt from the Grounds of Rebirth."

"Then why do you want to help me?"

"Because, whether you know it or not, you are innocent in all of this. You cannot know the bigger picture until the very last moment. Trust in me and I can help you."

"What is your plan?" Bronev asked.

Jai looked around. She saw Desmond, the professor and Clark all headed towards the car.

"Later," Jai said.

"We must go quickly. Do we have everything? Jai asked.

"Yes. Food and medical supplies are in the bag and you have... your... bow..." Desmond trailed off.

"Excellent." Jai pulled the sword out from her pocket.

They got into the car and Layton started the ignition.

Jai held the sword out of the window and let the sun's rays reflect off of it. A beam of light pointed due west-north-west. Jai smiled.

"Let us ride."

* * *

Emmy stared after the car. She hoped her uncle would come back alright. She wouldn't be able to bear it if she lost him.

And the professor. She suddenly felt tightness in her chest. Longing. She wanted to touch the Professor one more time, to feel his strong hand in hers once more. She felt a tear start up in her eye. She didn't want to feel these painful emotions anymore.

She wanted it all to stop.

Luke stood next to Emmy and took her hand.

"Dad and the professor will be okay, won't they?" he looked worried.

Emmy blinked back her tear and faked a smile. "Of course they will," she said softly. "They're as tough as old boots. It'll take more than that to get rid of them."

"More than what, though?" Luke asked. He looked terrified. "We don't know what's coming next. Jai never said anything. You know, I don't trust her one bit! I bet it's all a trap to lure the Professor away. Vaughan knows that we can't solve this without the professor!"

"Luke, do you remember what the professor always says about making hasty conclusions?"

"Not to do it?"

"Right! I'm sure they'll be fine. Really. But we have our own work to do here, don't we?"

"Erm... what do I have to do?" Luke asked.

"You have a very special mission. You have to lie low, at normal and keep your eyes peeled for any signs of disturbance. Can you do that?" Emmy asked.

Luke stood up tall and straightened his cap. "You can count on me, number one assistant!" he cried determinedly.

"Good man. Come on then, we have to get you ready for school."

"Right!" Luke said and he ran inside with Emmy hot at his heels.

* * *

Celeste smiled after Emmy and Luke. She then looked over at Brenda, who was still staring after the long-gone car with a worried expression on her face. Celeste walked over to her.

"Mrs. Triton? Are you alright?"

"y-yes, I'm fine," she stammered, fighting tears.

"Celeste placed a hand on her shoulder. " Don't worry. Jai will handle the dangerous part. Clark is only there to offer a hand n the archaeological side of things."

"I know... but I can't help but worry..."

"He'll be fine."

Brenda smiled. "Thank you," she said.

Celeste smiled back. "You're welcome."

* * *

"God, Luke, your bag is huge!" Emmy cried, shocked. "I'm sure you don't need all of those books!"

"Yeah," Luke said dully. "We get loads of homework. It sucks."

"Big time," Emmy agreed, dropping the bag on the floor. She smiled. "I wonder if it's still the same at the school. I can't wait to see it again!"

"But you were there the day before yesterday!" Luke exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I wasn't taking in the surroundings, I was trying to find you! And I have taken a fair few bumps to the head since then, so my memory's still a bit foggy..."

Emmy winked at Luke, who smiled back. Flora and Aurora then entered the room.

"Hi Luke! You have school again today!" Flora announced.

"Yeah, I noticed," Luke said boredly.

"What is school?" Aurora asked curiously.

"Well, in a nutshell, it's a big old depressing building where you get taught stuff you will never use later in life," Luke explained.

"So it is pointless?" Aurora frowned.

"Exactly," Flora said.

"Oh, come on, school's not that bad," Emmy said dubiously.

"It is when you have Mr. Lawson as principal," Luke said grouchily.

"Who's Mr. Lawson? He was never there when I went," Emmy frowned.

"Mr. Hue retired from a nervous breakdown and Mr. Lawson took over. He's a politician from Ulster," Luke replied.

"He's a T.D.?" Emmy asked. "Really? What are they doing in this country, getting politicians to teach school children?"

"He couldn't do that right, so he decided to mess up our school as well as the government," Luke replied.

"What is a T.D.? and a government? And a principal? And a country?" Aurora asked. "So many new words."

Emmy smiled. "Perhaps we should send Aurora to school one day, as an experiment, just to see how effective the school's teaching system is."

"Yeah!" Luke agreed enthusiastically.

"Can I come too?" Flora asked. "I'll only be bored here."

"Yeah! The more the merrier!" Luke cheered.

Emmy smiled. "You three are going to get into so much trouble," she said.

* * *

"Turn left," Jai ordered.

Andrea, who had taken over from driving, turned right.

"Your other left."

Andrea groaned and turned left.

"Do you even know where we're going?" she grumbled.

"Wherever the sword points us," Jai replied.

Andrea sighed.

"Please excuse her," Bronev said to Andrea. "She can be a little... obnoxious at times."

Jai scoffed. "I'm perfect. I am the very definition of perfection, which is more than can be said for you."

"Hmph." Bronev sat back, disgusted.

"I don't think your arm will be so perfect after dangling it out of the window all day," Desmond laughed. "Why not let someone else take a shift?"

"No human is allowed to touch it."

"Right," Desmond said. "Sorry."

"That's alright," Jai said. "If I could trust humans, I would have let someone else hold it by now, but I cannot."

"Why can't you trust humans?" Andrea demanded. "What's so bad about us?"

"You're greedy," Jai said. "You're selfish, you lie, you cheat, you steal, and you're carnivores—"

"What!" Andrea demanded.

"You kill animals and feast off of their flesh. That is wrong on so many levels."

"We do it because animals are the most fruitful sources of energy," Desmond explained. "It is survival of the fittest in this world."

"This world is disgraceful," Jai commented in a disgusted manner.

Andrea pulled a face. "Then why are you here?" she asked.

"To help you."

"You think we're disgusting, and yet you try to help us?"

"That is my duty," Jai explained. "I must stop the Grounds of Rebirth from falling into the wrong hands. I have done this for millenniums, and I will not stop just because an arrogant person such as you wants to jeopardise an entire race just because I hurt her pride."

Andrea fell silent.

"Good," Jai said. She looked at the blade she was holding out of the window.

"Turn left at this crossroads."

Andrea turned right again.

"AARGGH! THE OTHER LEFT!"

* * *

"Here we are."

"Wow..." Aurora looked around. "So many people... so noisy..."

They were in the assembly area of the school, where the vast majority of the students were doing their assignments which were due for the first class. They were all talking, laughing and joking. Most were scribbling down homework, some were just sitting and chatting and there were a few groups that were huddled together, playing cards. There were two teachers, walking around and supervising. Emmy recognised one of them immediately.

"Ann!"

Ann looked over and smiled. Emmy ran over to her, grinning from ear to ear. Ann hugged Emmy as soon as she approached.

"Emmy! My God! I heard about what happened in that warehouse! Are you alright? What on earth did they do to your face?"

"I'll live," Emmy laughed.

"How are you?" she exclaimed, squeezing Emmy tight.

"I'm great! You?"

"I'm grand." They broke apart and beamed at each other. Luke, Flora and Aurora hovered in the background. Emmy smiled at them.

"Ann this is Flora and Aurora. They will be assisting me today. I have to sketch from a description that the two girls who found the body will be giving me later. I have an appointment to see them at twelve, but I'm free until then, so I thought I would come and pay a visit!"

"Great! It's wonderful seeing you again. It's unfortunate that we met last in such unfortunate circumstances..." Ann looked upset.

"Ah... that's another thing I have to explain. Is your principal about?" Emmy asked.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"Because I think we should probably explain the whole Jai/Sinead situation. After all, everyone here thinks that Sinead is dead," Emmy explained.

"Oh yeah! Miss! Sinead is alive!"

Ann froze. "WH-What?" she spluttered. "Luke! This... this is not funny! How dare you!"

"No!" Emmy cut in hastily. "Luke means no offense! Really, miss, her death was all just one big misunderstanding! Please, just take me to Mr. Lawrence and we'll explain it all to everyone."

"Mr. Lawson," Luke corrected her.

"Whatever."

"Alright," Ann said, "But there had better be a damn good reason for this."

* * *

"Eh, Xavier, I don't think this is such a good idea," Aldaz said in his unnaturally deep voice.

Xavier turned to grin at his little brother. "I disagree, compadre. This is way more fun than sitting around in that stupid hotel room doing nothing."

"Yeah, but—" Aldaz began, but Xavier cut across him.

And anyway, that guy was disrespecting your haircut. Are you gonna let him get away with that?"

"Well..." Aldaz trailed off.

"Exactly. No one disrespects a Van De Garde and gets away with it. Especially not a stupid jerk like him. And speaking of stupid jerks, there he is right over... there!"

And sure enough, there was the boy they had met in the street the previous night, standing by the vending machine and rooting in his pockets for money.

"I'd recognise that smug smile anywhere," Xavier scowled. "Right, wait until he puts his money in, then pull the plug. And when he leaves, plug it back in and free breakfast for you!"

"But this is a pathetic prank," Aldaz pointed out. "I'm sure you could think of better things to do with your time than this. Why don't you... collect stamps instead?"

The boy put his money into the machine and Xavier reached over and pulled the plug.

The machine died as the bag of peanuts was halfway through coming out. The boy hit the machine, but to no avail. He kicked it and groaned loudly.

"Ay bosura," Aldaz said, shaking his head and looking disgusted.

"Some people have vicious tempers, no?" Xavier said, grinning.

"You're pathetic."

"Pathetically brilliant, I know, I know," Xavier laughed, ruffling his brother's hair. "I loved the effect our vending machine prank had on that jerk at the airport, so I thought I'd do an instant replay."

Aldaz sighed. "You're such a jerk."

"I know you are," Xavier replied, glaring at the boy. "Imagine poking fun at an innocent guy's haircut! It's an abomination!"

"You're an abomination," Aldaz pointed out. "Look at how many vending machines you've fucked up. That's not right, man. What do you have against vending machines?"

"They steal your money," Xavier replied. "And I get a sweet satisfaction when the machine breaks down, because I know that it was me who caused it."

Aldaz sighed.

"... It was that eejit over there!" The boy, who was talking to a teacher, was pointing over to Aldaz.

"Shit," Aldaz muttered. He looked over to Xavier, but he was long gone.

The teacher was approaching Aldaz fast. "Double shit."

* * *

"So why exactly are you here, Miss...?"

"Bronev. I am here to do sketch art based on the description of him by the witnesses, two girls who attend this school. But there is something I must explain to you first, about the girl who got "murdered"."

"Please go on," Gerard said.

"The girl wasn't really murdered," Emmy said. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Oh?" Gerard said, intrigued. "And have her family been informed?"

"Yes, our commander has informed them. They were called two days ago."

"Very well. Are you able to inform us of what this misunderstanding was?"

Emmy cleared her throat. She didn't know where to begin. "Um... well, let's start at the start. The girl wasn't killed by her gunshot wound, she was only grazed by it, but she fainted from the shock."

"But that doesn't explain why the authorities mistook her for dead," Goretti pointed out.

Emmy sighed. "What I'm about to say may sound... ridiculous, but that is what the girl is saying, and it seems like the only plausible explanation for what's happening."

"Please, go on," Gerard said.

Emmy cleared her throat. "The girl was targeted by the same man who blew up St. Mary's High School and that warehouse."

"And the same man who kidnapped Loretta?" Goretti asked.

"Correct."

"But what reason, if any, would a man have for doing these terrible things?" Gerard asked.

"We're not sure as of yet, but we're looking into it. This case is in good hands. Trust me. We have nothing but the best working on this case. But the girl..."

"Is she still alive?" Ann asked.

"Yes... in a way..."

"And what do you mean by that, Emmy?" Ann asked.

"She... is in a partial dormant state. She is... being possessed by an ancient spirit who needs to stop Vaughan from doing something that could hurt a lot of people."

"What?" Goretti asked incredulously.

"Possessed?" Gerard asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Emmy said. "They take it in turns using the body. Jai – the spirit – is using it at the moment, but she'll be back by the end of the day. I will ensure that you talk to her, so that you can see what I mean."

"Possessed," Gerard snorted. "I've never heard such nonsense. Do you take me to be some kind of fool?"

"Not at all, sir, I—" Emmy began.

"I don't believe a word you say, girl. All this nonsense about that poor girl being "dormant" – have you no respect for the dead?"

"Yes, but I—"

"For god's sake! Possessed my eye!"

"Listen, you," Emmy spat. "I'm only here to try to help, you know. I come all the way here from London and I keep you in the loop, let you know what's what. And what do you do? You throw it back in my face, you're rude to me and you don't appreciate anything that I do! Well I've had enough! C'mon, Luke, Flora, Aurora!" Emmy got up and stormed out. The other three quickly followed er. Ann got up and went after Emmy.

"Emmy! Emmy!"

Emmy walked on and ignored her.

"Emmy!" Luke cried. "Miss Enright wants you! Emmy!"

Emmy stopped and turned around.

"Emmy, I believe you, even if he doesn't. You can stay with me for the time being," Ann said, flustered from running after Emmy.

Emmy's eyes widened. "You believe me? You of all people?"

"Yes, me of all people," Ann replied, smiling. "Come with me." And she walked off down the corridor. Emmy looked at Luke, who shrugged and the four of them ran off after her.

They arrived at Ann's classroom. She unlocked the door and led them inside.

"I believe you, Emmy. But please, I want you to be honest with me from the off. You have to explain everything you know to me, and I mean everything, so that I can fully trust you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Emmy said.

"Okay. Explain."

* * *

"Ouch! Get off me! Didn't do anything, it was my brother! You got the wrong guy!" Aldaz yelled, struggling in the man's grip.

"Will you be quiet and quit making a scene!" the man exclaimed, dragging Aldaz down the corridor by the arm. He stopped outside of an office. "Wait here." He went in.

Aldaz sighed. "That jerk of a brother of mine," he thought sourly. He looked down the corridor and, to his relief, he saw Emmy walking with a few of the other kids from the resistance and another woman he had never seen before. "Screw this," Aldaz thought, and he bolted down the corridor. "Emmy! EMMY!"

"... and he unplugged the vending machine after I spent six hours fixing it and tried to blame it on some other poor lad," the man explained to Goretti. They looked around.

"Where is this lad?"

"He... he's gone." They both stood there, surprised, but furious.

* * *

The four were sat down at desks in front of Ann and had just finished explaining the situation to Ann. She sat, awestruck by what she had just heard. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Uh oh!" Aldaz ran into the room and slammed the door. He looked at the five faces who stared at him. "Uh... I'm with Emmy." He sat at a desk next to Emmy. "Don't mind me."

"Oh." Ann cleared her throat. "I... can't believe what's really happening."

Emmy smiled. "It's rather a lot to take in, isn't it?"

Ann nodded.

They heard raised voices approaching the door.

"Ay bosura! It's them!" Aldaz cried, hiding under the table.

The door opened and the man and Goretti entered the room.

"Ah! Mr. Bourke, Mrs. Fitzgerald, what can I do for you?" Ann asked politely.

"We're looking for a young man in a red hoody who came running in this direction. Did he come in here at any stage?"

"Nope," Luke replied casually. "No one but us here."

"Okay. Thanks." They left and closed the door.

Aldaz came out from under the table and sighed in relief. "Thanks," he said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Luke replied.

"As I was saying... if there's anything I can do to help..."

"There is," Emmy said.

"What is it?" Ann asked.

"I need to have an interview with two students here. They found the body and saw what the man looks like without the mask. I need to speak with them and do a sketch based on what they saw. I doubt that Mr. what-ever-his-name-is will let me take them out of class, so I thought maybe you could? Please?"

Ann smiled. "Of course. Anything to help."

Emmy beamed back. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Xavier entered the room. He laughed out loud when he saw Aldaz's face.

"Oh, c'mon Ali! Don't be like that!" he laughed.

Emmy shook her head in disbelief. "I don't want to know," she muttered.

* * *

As Layton and co. drove far out of the county they were in and deep into the heart of the McGilly Cuddy Reeks in co. Kerry, Andrea sighed. The others were contented; looking at the picturesque mountain scenery, but Andrea was getting very exasperated with Jai and getting the directions wrong.

"We've been driving for well over an hour now. When exactly are we going to get there?" Andrea asked impatiently.

"For the last time, we'll get there when we get there," Jai snapped, looking at the sword again. "According to the sword, we're getting really close now."

Andrea snorted.

A man in a high-visibility jacket ran out into the road and stopped them in their tracks. Andrea rolled down the window and the men starting talking to them very quickly.

"I'm sorry, lads, but there's no entry up there. There have been a lot of earthquakes out there in the last twenty-four hours, and we're not letting anyone out there for health and safety reasons."

"Bingo," Jai said. "We're here." She got out of the car and looked carefully at the mountains. "I guess I was mistaken in the identity of these creatures," she muttered. She turned to the others. "Stay where you are. If I'm not back in six hours, go on without me." She reached in and got her bow and made for the mountains.

"Hey – wait!" the man yelled. "I just told you—"

"Don't bother," Andrea warned him. "She won't listen. Proper little headcase, that one is."

The man shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever would a teenage girl like herself want to do out there?"

Andrea shrugged. "Who knows?"

* * *

A few hours later, Emmy was waiting in the assembly area for the two girls, her notebook and sketchpad at the ready. She had taken Flora, Aurora, Aldaz and Xavier home to Carla, who was keeping them ut of mischief. Her heart leapt. She knew exactly what was coming. She would end up seeing his face on the pad. The one person who terrified her the most. "Come on, Emmy, pull yourself together," she thought angrily. "If we get an image, that will definitely get the professor one step closer to the truth." She gulped. She really didn't want the professor to know the truth. The truth about Vaughan. The truth about her past...

Ann arrived with two young girls in tow. They looked incredibly nervous.

"Here, their all yours," Ann smiled. "Go easy on them." She winked and walked away.

Emmy looked at the two girls. They were both shaking and one of them looked as though she were about to cry.

"Here, why don't you both sit down," Emmy said gently, offering them seats at the table.

They sat together, holding hands.

Emmy smiled. "It's alright," she reassured them. "I don't bite. I only want to ask a few questions about the man you saw. Is that okay?"

They nodded.

Emmy squinted at her notes. "So... which one of you is Dominika?"

The shorter one of the two, a brunette, jumped. "Me," she said.

"Okay. Do you remember exactly where you were when you found the body?"

Dominika frowned. "Eh..." she started shaking all over again.

"It's okay. Don't be scared. Everything will be alright, I promise."

"Eh... we... we were... in school... the front... and... eh... Jak się mówi ... szliśmy po angielski?" she asked the other girl.

The other girl shrugged.

"We were walking," Emmy replied. She smiled at the girl, who smiled back.

"I speak polish, if you would prefer."

Dominika looked at her friend and beamed. They both nodded.

"Tak, gdzie byłeś i co robiłeś wówczas?"

* * *

Jai kept walking. She took in her surroundings, trying to calm herself down. She didn't dare let on to anyone else, but she was terrified. She had never been this scared before.

"Humans are so stupid," she thought furiously. "Every other race before them were able to get the artefacts before I got the chance to stop them, but now here I am, getting the artefacts for them! I've never seen the likes of it in all the millenniums of millenniums of time I have been doing this. Even the Azran and they were the thickest bunch I'd met so far. Modern civilisations really are going to pot." Jai heard Sinead inside her head. "Fuck you," Sinead retorted.

Jai smiled and walked on.

And on.

And on.

Eventually, Jai reached the foot of the mountain. She was about a hundred meters away from it. She sighed. "Well, here goes nothing," Jai thought, and she held up the sword.

A glint of the day's scorching sun reflected off of the sword. A ray of light emitted from it and shone onto the tilted the sword until the beam hit the very summit. Jai looked up and heard Sinead gasp in her head.

The mountain began to rise, up higher and higher, hundreds of feet, thousands of feet, tens of thousands of feet. Eventually, Jai herself even let out a gasp.

Arms and legs of rock began to emerge from the spectacle before them – the mountain was turning into an almost human-like form, with limbs and a torso, with a head of stone on top which had huge glowing eyes and was too small in proportion to the rest of its body.

It took one step and the ground wobbled and shook under the massive weight of the beast. Jai was knocked off her feet and hit the ground hard. She felt her vision go fuzzy and blurry. But she couldn't give up now. It was too late.


	15. Perilous Journey of Dangerous Heights 2

Chapter 14 – A Perilous Journey of Dangerous Heights and Proportions - Part 2

Andrea leaned back I her seat and sighed. "How long is that girl going to be?" she asked impatiently. "She's been gone for hours."

"An hour," the professor corrected her. "And I'm not sure when she'll be back. All I know is that o have a terrible feeling about this. I think she could be I some kind of mortal peril as we speak. There have been earthquakes out there and some of the rocks in the mountains could be quite precarious. It's hazardous out there."

"There was nothing we could do, Desmond said. " There was no changing her mind. She absolutely insisted on going out there on her own. But it was for the other's sakes. She only decided to do this after Brenda protested, did she not?"

"Yes," the professor said. He sighed worriedly. "I have a feeling that something is about to happen. Something huge."

"That's the famous Layton intuition I've been hearing so much about," Andrea said with a smiled.

Layton opened his mouth to reply, but a noise interrupted him.

"What was that?"

"It came from the distance," Clark replied, squinting.

The ground began to shake violently, causing the car to rock around.

"Wh-wh-a-at's h-ha-ap-pening-ing?" Andrea cried out as they were being jostled from side to side.

"L-let's g-get o-out o-of h-here!" the professor yelled, opening the door.

He fell out of the car and Andrea fell out on top of him. The others followed suit. The man in the high viz jacket was crouched on the floor, yelling, "This is it! This is what I was talking about!"

"Dear God!" Desmond screamed, pointing out into the distance.

Everyone gasped. The mountains began to rise from the surface, getting taller and taller.

"WH-What—" Andrea began.

The mountain began to form arms and legs, turning itself into a huge beast.

"What on earth—" Bronev gasped.

The beast was thousands of feet high, taller than any of the other mountains in the area. They looked up and saw its eyes – red glowing eyes that looked like lasers.

"Jai..." the professor said.

* * *

Jai aimed with her crossbow, waiting for the beast to take its first step. She studied it carefully, looking for weak points. All she could see was rock.

"All of it must be protected," Jai thought. She racked her brain, trying to remember. Remember...

She saw it. Right there, on its upper arm. There was the first weak point.

"I must stab it," she thought. "I must kill this beast... but how will I get up there? It can only die by the use of the sword..."

It raised its leg, preparing for its first step. Then it hit her.

She saw another minor weak point on the bottom of its foot.

"If I hit that, it may fall..." she nodded. It was worth a shot.

She readied her bow, aiming diligently. The foot rose to about fifty feet when she released the arrow. It missed by mere feet.

"Fuck!" Jai exclaimed bitterly. She aimed again. The foot was about two thousand feet in the air when she shot her target goal.

The beast screamed deafeningly, the rocks making up its face moving to form an agonised expression. Its eyes flickered. The beast's leg fell rapidly to the ground as the beast was down on one knee, screaming in agony.

"This is my chance," she thought. She ran.

* * *

The beast screamed in the distance. Layton gasped.

"Jai!" he yelled.

"Oh God!" Andrea exclaimed. "Oh God, Oh God!"

"What is that thing!" Bronev demanded.

"Do I look like I know?!" Desmond yelled back.

"That was a rhetorical question!" Bronev roared.

"We have to help her!" Andrea screamed.

"She said to stay!" Clark yelled in response.

"Tough!" Andrea began to run towards the beast.

"You fool! Stay where you are!" Bronev roared, running after her.

They both fell as the beast rose to its feet.

"Stay here!" the professor yelled. "I'll call for help!"

He took out his phone and dialled Emmy's number.

"Emmy!"

* * *

Jai kept running. The beast's leg was rising as it began to make its way back to its feet. Jai quickly grabbed another arrow and threw it like a spear. It stuck into its foot right next to the last one. The foot fell once more and Jai tore over to it. She leaped and grabbed onto a boulder and launched herself up. She began her climb up to the arm. She panted, as she climbed, higher and higher up the beast's leg. She reached one hundred feet and looked up. She sighed. She had barely even reached the ankle. "This will take a while," she thought.

She felt the leg move and nearly fell off. She gasped, her heart leaping with every beat it took as the beast took another step. She hung on tight as the beast moved. It walked forward, swaying from side to side, as though dazed, barely able to walk in a straight line. Jai was swinging back and forth, hanging on for dear life as the creature walked on towards the other mountain cluster ahead. She tried to pull herself up, but it was difficult, as she just kept swaying. She ascended higher and higher, for what felt like hours. She finally reached the knee.

She sat down in a ridge between the kneecap boulder and the top of the thigh area and sighed. Huffing and puffing, she lay down on the floor of the cave and decided to rest.

* * *

Emmy stared at her sketch. Vaughan was looking back at her in the drawing. She felt unnerved by the sight of his face. Having to draw him was more painful that she had thought. She had to fight tears as she drew. Just seeing his face made her well up inside. Her phone rang. She sighed. She gulped, swallowing the hard lump in her throat as she looked at the phone. The professor was trying to call her. She swallowed carefully and answered.

"Hello?"

"Emmy! It's Jai, she—"

There was a lot of rattling sounds in the background. Emmy frowned.

"Professor? Are you okay? I think you're breaking up."

"What?" More rattling.

"Professor what are you doing? Where are you?" Emmy asked.

"Mountains... Kerry... Jai... monster—"

Emmy hung up. She ran out of the door with one destination in mind – the airport.

* * *

"She hung up!" the professor yelled over the racket of the shaking ground.

"What? Why!" Bronev yelled.

"I don't know!" the professor yelled in reply.

"I see someone climbing!" Desmond yelled. "Is that Jai?"

"Is it? It is!" Andrea yelled. "There she is!"

Clark took out his trusty binoculars and looked in Jai's direction. "She appears to be unharmed!" he yelled.

Everyone sighed in relief. "What's she even doing out there?" the high viz man cried.

"I don't know anymore!" Desmond yelled.

"We have to get to her—" Clark began.

There was a bang. They looked back at the beast to find that it had collapsed.

"What happened?" Bronev roared.

* * *

Jai had finally reached her destination. She was at the upper arm and was standing before the weak point. The weak point glowed bright blue as she approached it. She panted, gasping for air after her exhausting and exhilarating climb. She pulled the sword out of her pocket. It glinted in the sunlight and a beam emitted from it, pointing t the weak spot before her. She knew exactly what she had to do.

She raised the sword into the air, arching the blade down towards the weak point. She got down on her knees on the boulder she was standing on and plunged the sword into the weak point.

She beast screamed once more, but this scream sounded twice as agonised as the last. It doubled over and collapsed onto the ground, on its knees. It roared. Jai tumbled over from the force of the power emitting from the blade. The fell over the edge and hung onto a nearby rock for dear life. She tried to pull herself back up.

The beast, meanwhile, had realised that something was not right with its arm. It looked and saw Jai. It scowled. Its arm raised up, hand outstretched and it tried to swipe Jai off. Jai's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. The beast swiped Jai off with its finger.

Jai plummeted and fell at breakneck speed towards the ground. As she fell, she noticed that the weak point was disappearing. She smiled. Then she realised something. "Oh, right... I'm falling."

She screamed as she plummeted, lower and lower, closer and closer to the ground. But when she was about two hundred feet above the ground, something strange happened.

She landed in a plane, right into the back seat in a perfect sitting position. Jai blinked, not knowing where she was.

"Us humans really can't be trusted, can we?" a familiar voice said in an amused tone of voice.

Jai stared in awe at her saviour. Emmy turned around and grinned at her stunned expression.

"You ... saved me," she said.

"And you saved me, and yet I never said thank you, did I?" Emmy said. "An eye for an eye?"

Jai nodded. "Thank you."

"So, is it all over?" Emmy asked.

"No," Jai replied, "There is one more weak spot on the head. Drop me off and go and check on the others."

"Aye aye, captain!" Emmy grinned and she took off in an upwards direction.

* * *

"Is, that... Emmeline?" Bronev thought, staring up at a new blur that had entered the scene. "May I borrow that?" he yelled at Clark, pointing at the binoculars.

Clark nodded and thrust them at Bronev.

He looked up and saw Emmy in her yellow airplane with Jai in the backseat. He let out a sigh of relief. He saw that they were headed for the beast's head. "She definitely attacked it," Bronev thought. "He must have some sort of weakness that Jai knows about."

"One more attack and that's it I'd say!" Bronev yelled to Layton. "She's going for its head!"

"What just entered over there?" Layton roared.

"Emmeline! She got the message! She's got Jai!"

Layton beamed. "Thank goodness for that!"

* * *

Jai stood up as Emmy kept the plane steady. "Thank you Emmy!" Jai yelled, and jumped over to the head. Emmy flew off towards where the others were and Jai readied the sword. "Last one," she thought determinedly.

As she withdrew the sword, this weak point glowed just as the last one did. Jai gripped the sword as tightly as she could. She began to sweat again as she raised the blade and pointed it downwards, in a similar fashion to the way she had done it previously. She knelt right onto the weak point and sank the sword deep into the heart of the weak point.

Just as she did this, everything stopped.

There was silence. Not a sound could be heard.

Jai could not hear, or feel, or even think. She just knelt there in absolute silence.

After a while, her thoughts finally came back to her.

"... I've done it..."

And so did the noise.

"...aaarrrrrgggggghhhhAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"OH GOD!" Andrea screamed. "WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Layton roared back. He watched as Emmy's plane turned around and was headed back to the beast.

"NOOOOOOO! EMMELINE!" Bronev roared.

"EMMY!"

Emmy was flying as fast as she could, regardless of whether it was safe or not. She didn't care either way; she couldn't simply let Jai die on that monstrosity.

She watched as the beast keeled over, hitting the ground with an enormous crash, destroying all underneath it. And taking Jai with it.

The plane dived towards the ground. The plane landed just as the echo of the beast's scream had died down. Emmy jumped out of the plane, frantically searching around.

"Jai? Jai! JAI!"

There was silence, for the first time in hours. The ground had stopped shaking. Emmy looked at the massive form of the beast.

"JAI!" she screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Over here," came a voice from behind Emmy, making her jump.

Emmy spun around to see Jai. Relief spread across Emmy's mind as she looked at the girl with a big warm smiled. She had never been so relieved in her whole life.

"You're... alive..."

Jai smiled back. "How very observant of you."

Emmy ran towards her and hugged her. Jai stepped back, but Emmy didn't let go.

"I... I'm s-so glad you're alright..." she sobbed.

Jai was shocked. She had never been on the receiving end of a show of emotion like this. She didn't know what to do. She just stood there and let Emmy hug her.

Emmy eventually stepped back and smiled at Jai. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes," Jai said. "I hurt myself on the rocks. The beast also broke some of my bones when it pushed me off." She gestured to her arm, which looked heavily banged up.

Emmy looked at her face, which was covered in cuts and bruises. Jai's clothes were covered in dust and dirt. Emmy noticed that Jai's legs were shaking and that she looked very off balance. Emmy looked sadly at the girl before her. "She's only a child..." she thought.

Layton's hired car pulled up only meters away from them. The crew got out of the car hurriedly and ran over to Jai.

"Are you alright?

Are you hurt?

What on earth was that thing?

What did you do to it?

Where's the artefact?"

All of these questions came flying at Jai. She felt dizzy, as though she were about to faint.

Emmy noticed this. "SHUT IIIT!" she roared, making everyone fall silent. "What is the matter with all of you?" Emmy demanded. "Show a little respect!"

"The artefact is... in the beast's skull. You will have to... move... boulders... sorry... should've prepared... I didn't know..."

Jai's white face turned greyer and greyer with every second that passed.

Emmy put an arm around Jai. "C'mon, I'll take you to the car," she said gently, leading Jai away.

Bronev looked at the others. He rubbed his hands together.

"Let's get to it."

"So, how are we going to move this boulder?" Desmond asked.

"You mean how are _**you**_ going to move this boulder? I'm an old man, boy, and I'm in no fit state to do that. I'm afraid I'll have to leave this one t the younglings." He sniggered and walked away after Emmy and Jai.

Desmond scowled. "He would've only got in the way anyway," he muttered.

Bronev walked to the car and got into the front seat. He turned to Emmy, who was sitting with a sickly dead-looking Jai.

"How is she?"

"Very ill. She needs rest."

Jai was slumped against the backseat window with her eyes closed.

"She did have a rough climb," Bronev commented. "About a thousand feet, I think."

Emmy nodded and sighed.

"You don't look so good yourself. Give me the keys. I'll take the plane back."

Emmy smiled as she handed him the keys. "Thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome," Bronev smiled back, and he left.

Emmy looked out the window at the archaeologists at work. Clark, Desmond and Andrea were chatting while the professor was out searching in the trees. He emerged with a big branch.

Emmy smiled.

* * *

"Well, we have no machines, no men, no help – how do you expect me to know how to move a huge boulder away?" Andrea cried.

"How did the Stone Age people move them? That's how an archaeologist thinks. What kind of an archaeologist are you?" Clark mocked.

"A woman," Desmond replied.

And the argument continued like that as the professor carried the branch over to the boulder. He spotted a gap in the side ad put the end of the branch in there.

"You're sexist, and dirty great sexist pi—"

CRASH!

The three of them turned around as the boulder flopped over. The professor smiled at them.

"How would the world survive without levers, eh?" he asked. He laughed at their awestruck expressions. "Come along." He started into the newly opened up cave. The other three quickly followed.

There was a case with a small object in it.

"Is this it?" Andrea asked excitedly.

"It appears so," the professor said. He approached it cautiously. He studied the case carefully. There was a hand shaped engraving on it. The professor placed his hand into it and the case opened. He then took the artefact and took a long look at it.

The artefact was a cube, roughly the size of his fist. It had a faded design on it. Desmond and Clark looked at it over his shoulder.

"What do you suppose it means?" Andrea asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," Clark replied.

"It's Azran," Desmond said. "I've seen it before, I know I have."

"It was on the blade," the professor replied. "I think it is the Azran symbol for rebirth. You see here, the symbol for birth—" he traced it out on the design with his finger, "— and this here the symbol for reoccurrence?" he asked, tracing this one out also. "These two combined create the symbol for rebirth. I think this, along with the fact that I was inside this monster, authenticates it, don't you think?"

Desmond and Clark nodded. "Absolutely," Desmond said.

"Then we are officially one step ahead of Vaughan," the professor said. "We have the first artefact and the potential to get the others as well. We must head back and plan for the next."

"Agreed," Desmond said. "We must also report our findings to the others."

Clark smiled. "Imagine the look on Luke's face after we tell him what we've just experienced!"

The professor smiled. "Yes. Imagine that."


	16. It's a Date

Chapter 15 – It's a Date

Emmy sighed as they pulled up at the estate. She had noticed that a taxi had been following along since they had pulled off of the highway, and has assumed that it was Bronev on his way back from the airport after taking the plane back. She smiled.

Layton noticed that she was smiling and smiled too. He loved it when Emmy smiled. He loved to see her happy.

Emmy looked over at Layton and caught his eye. She grinned, which he returned.

Bronev tapped on the window nearest to Emmy. She jumped and laughed. Bronev smiled.

"Are you coming? I daresay you could do with some rest after your little rescue mission."

"Yeah." She got out of the car and past Jai, who was still asleep, and followed Bronev.

The professor leaned back from in the front seat and tapped Jai gently. Her eyes fluttered open.

"We're here. Come now, dear."

"Where is the artefact?"

"I have it here."

"Give it to me."

Layton handed it to her. She took it and placed it in her pocket with the sword.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Layton smiled.

Jai opened the car door and ran out. Layton followed her into the house.

* * *

He entered to find Brenda hugging Clark. They were locked in a tight embrace, neither one wanting to let go. He smiled and was just entering the kitchen when he felt a small figure jump almost on top of him.

"I've been so worried about you! Are you okay? What happened? Did you get the artefact? Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Flora! Whoa! Now slow down, my dear!" Layton laughed, hugging her back. "You didn't have to worry, Flora. I am fine. Jai didn't let anyone go to the beast. Yes, we did get the artefact, Jai has it. And a cup of tea would be wonderful."

Flora beamed and went back into the kitchen.

Aurora approached the professor.

"Professor? Did you see where Jai got to?" she asked.

"Upstairs, I think."

"Thank you. I am glad that you are all alright. I hope Jai didn't get hurt."

"Er... I think she has a few cuts and bruises, and her arm should really be tended to. Celeste, Jai has to be seen to, she is hurt," the professor called over to her.

"On it," Celeste replied, running past Layton and out of the room.

Layton sat down beside Emmy and Bronev, who stopped talking as soon as he sat down. Emmy smiled at the professor.

"Are you alright Emmy? You didn't get hurt out there?" Aurora asked.

"No, Aurora, I'm fine. Thank you," Emmy smiled.

"I noticed that you have been a bit off recently. Are you okay?"

Oh... I'm fine, Aurora. Just fine."

"Alright," Aurora said uncertainly.

They heard someone running downstairs. Celeste rushed into the kitchen, looking panic-stricken.

"It's Jai's arm... it's quite bad... we need to get her to a hospital or something..."

Layton grabbed his car keys from his pocket. "Let's go," he said.

"I'll do it," Desmond said. "You stay here and try to uncover a bit more from the artefact. I'll get it from Jai and you can examine it a bit further."

"Alright, thank you, Desmond," the professor said gratefully, throwing his keys to Desmond. He and Celeste left the room. Aurora ran after them.

Emmy stared worriedly after them. "I hope she'll be alright," she said.

Bronev took her hand and she smiled. He smiled back.

Desmond returned. He handed the professor the artefact. "She refused to hand over the sword," he told them. "She says it doesn't matter if you have the one artefact as you need all four to be able to enter the Grounds of Rebirth, but if you have the sword it could jeopardise that."

"Alright," Layton replied. "Thank you Desmond."

Desmond nodded and left.

"May I see it?" Bronev asked. Layton nodded and handed it to him.

Bronev studied the design carefully. "The design... it is Azran..."

"It means—" the professor began.

"Rebirth, I know," Bronev snapped, scratching his beard. "I just don't know..."

"What?" Emmy asked.

"Anything about this whole rebirth thing. None of us do. We don't know where these grounds are, where the other artefacts are, what other kinds of monster are protecting them... anything. We don't even know Vaughan's true identity or motives." Bronev sighed and handed the artefact back to Bronev.

Layton looked out of the kitchen door and into the living room, where the others were sat drinking tea and chatting idly amongst themselves. He took another look at the artefact in his hand. Layton frowned at the artefact. He knew exactly what it did and that there were others of this kind. But he couldn't get to them and he didn't know why. Jai had said that terrible things would happen if the grounds were used. He remembered Aurora's story about their Azran queen and how she was killed, resurrected, went "bad" and killed again by her people. He then remember Jai's sudden change of heart when it came to revealing the locations of the artefacts. He remembered what she had said:

"_I thought I could prevent what is to come, but I cannot. The only way you humans will learn of the true nature of the Grounds of Rebirth is if you experience it firsthand. That is how I learned, that is how the Azran learned, and that is how you must learn also. I cannot save you. The darkness souls have warned me of this. I must aid you in finding the artefacts, but only if you truly desire this. It is evident that you do."_

"But I thought her duty was to protect us from the Grounds of Rebirth?" Layton asked himself. "And yet she still wants us to experience this. Something must have happened while she was letting Sinead control the body. She must have gone somewhere. Circumstances must have changed." He got up. Emmy and Bronev looked at him. "Come Emmy. I think we ought to speak to Jai. She is on her way to the hospital. We must go after them. He went into the living room and turned to Luke and Flora. "Come. We must speak to Jai." And they left for the car.

* * *

"What are you thinking, Professor?" Emmy asked. She smiled. The professor obviously had some sort of idea, or they wouldn't be going after Jai. "Have we got a plan?"

"Yes," the professor replied. "Do you remember yesterday when she refused to tell us the location of the first artefact, and Sid that we could not be trusted?"

"Yes," Emmy said.

"And then after we implored her, she merely sighed and agreed. Why is that?"

"I'm not sure, Luke replied. " It wasn't like we were pestering her, we were just asking."

"Can you remember what she said after she eventually agreed?" the professor asked.

"Something... about her not being able to prevent what will happen," Emmy said, frowning. "She said we had to experience the danger for ourselves."

"Yes," the professor said.

"But if it was so dangerous, why did she change her mind about telling us?" Flora asked. "If it was really that dangerous, she would ave refused blindly to tell us."

""But she didn't tell us everything," the professor said. " She refused to let us help her destroy the beast when she fought it. Why, we only found out what was going to happen when it was actually happening. We didn't know that she had to kill the beast in order to get the artefact."

"I know, Dad said," Luke said. "He's pretty angry that Jai won't tell us specific details like that. He suspects her, and we all do. She's keeping too many secrets."

"So is Aurora," Flora said. "I asked her how she knew Jai, but she refused to tell. And I asked her what she talks to Jai about, you know, when they talk in Azran, but she said that she wasn't allowed to tell me and walked away. She always seems so stressed and is always staring at Jai. I think she's scared. She seems so scared of the Grounds of Rebirth."

"And ... I think someone else is hiding something from us," Layton said, giving Emmy a nervous glance.

Luke frowned.

"Who?" Flora asked.

"Bronev."

"I knew it!" Luke yelled.

Emmy cleared her throat loudly and Luke fell silent.

"Uh... sorry Emmy."

Emmy glared at the floor. She looked upset.

"Er... I'm sorry, Emmy. Really. But I think he is hiding something from us. He has been acting suspiciously, as has Celeste." The professor looked into her eyes.

Emmy nodded. Luke and Flora stared at her.

"So if you know something, please tell us now."

Emmy sighed. Tears were starting in her eyes.

"Emmy?" the professor reached over and took her hand.

"Vaughan... he... he did something to my family... when I was ten," Emmy began, tears pouring down her face.

Flora leaned over and hugged Emmy.

"He... well... I'll start from the start."

"Alright," the professor said gently. "Take your time."

Emmy wiped her eyes. "It was sixteen years ago. My mother, my brother Daniel and I were on holiday at my aunt's house. My mother and her sister were always very close and visited each other every year. It was our turn to visit her, so we went. We got there okay and we were alright for the first few days. Dad never went with us because he and my aunt never got on usually. He stayed at home. Anyway, we were there for three days and Carla took me, Xavier, who was only eighteen months at the time, and Aldaz, who and only been born two weeks before, out for a walk to the park. Daniel had to stay at home because he had a temperature. We went and mum stayed with Daniel and Juanita... but something happened... they... they..."

Emmy started sobbing. The professor put an arm around her. "It's alright," he said gently, "keep going. You're doing very well."

"The house, Juanita's house... there was arson... they..." Emmy sniffed. "There were no survivors. They... they all died... my mum... and D-D-Daniel..." Emmy burst into tears again.

Flora rubbed Emmy's back comfortingly with an empathetic expression on her face. Luke stared sadly at Emmy.

"It gets worse," Emmy sobbed. "It was... V-Vaughan..."

"What?" Luke exclaimed incredulously. "He did it?"

Emmy nodded. "He... well... my f-father... he..." Emmy stopped. "He worked as an archaeologist... he studied the Azran... and Targent... they send Vaughan to k-kill my m-mother to ma-manipulate him... so he set the house on fire with them inside..." Emmy sobbed heavily.

Flora leaned over again and hugged Emmy's back. She kissed the back of Emmy's head. Layton tightened his grip around Emmy's shoulders. Emmy continued to cry into the professor's shoulder. Luke watched on from the back and stared at Emmy. He had never seen her like this.

After a while, Emmy's sobs seemed to cease as she gradually calmed down. When she had finished, she sighed, her head still rested on the professor's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You must all think I'm weak... and a coward..."

"No," Flora said gently. "No one thinks that. And even if they do, who cares? Not us. You'll always be strong and great to us."

"Yeah," Luke said. "You're still as strong as you ever were in my eyes." He smiled. "Everyone gets upset sometimes, and you have every reason to be."

"It takes an incredibly strong person to let out their emotions," the professor said, stroking Emmy's hair. "And it's natural to feel ashamed afterwards. But you have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing." He kissed Emmy's head and held her tighter.

Emmy gave a watery smiled and the professor smiled back.

"Thank you," Emmy beamed. "All of you. I feel so much better now..."

Layton smiled. "good." And he kissed her head again. He let go of Emmy, as did Flora, and held her at arm's length. She beamed at him and wiped her face on her sleeve.

"So... we have to talk to Jai?" Emmy asked; her face now dry.

"Yes, my dear," the professor said. It's only been a half hour, so I'm not sure if she's been admitted to a ward yet. But she should be here by now. Let's go." He got out of the car and the other three followed.

* * *

"What's your name, then?" the doctor asked.

"Bob," Sinead replied.

The doctor frowned. "Bob? Is that short for Roberta?"

"Yep," Sinead grinned. Aurora, who was sitting next to her, smiled.

The doctor looked annoyed. "Come on, now. Why don't you tell us you real name?"

"Why don't you hurry up and fix my arm so that I can go home?" Sinead asked back.

"I need to look at you medical history."

"To see what size cast I need? I've never broken my arm before, so you'll need to measure me up."

"Oh. Okay. We'll get you seen to within the next few minutes." The doctor walked away.

"A few minutes my ass. That's doctor speak for a few hours."

Aurora laughed.

"The efficiency rate of people in this country is astonishing. Really, it is. I mean, if you ask a German, or a Russian to meet up with you at eight o'clock, they'll be there for eight o'clock. In the UK, they might be a bit late the odd time, but they're not too bad really. But if you ask an Irish person to meet up with you, they'll probably be heading out the door to see you at anytime between half nine and quarter to twelve. That's Irish timekeeping for you in a nutshell, right there."

Aurora laughed again.

"It goes for everything, like in our school for example. We were supposed to have our extension by 2012 at the latest. Here we are now, February 2014, and they haven't even dug a single hole yet. Typical Irish timekeeping here."

Aurora smiled.

"No wonder the whole country is going to shit."

Aurora sat up straighter as she saw the professor and co. approaching. They entered the room and Sinead smiled.

"Hi all. Yay! More people to bore the pants off of with my ramblings. Take a seat."

"Sinead again, is it?" Luke grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen Jai that cheerful.

"Bah, ignore her, she's just moody because she had to climb that huge man mountain and she's afraid of heights. Though, I don't think it really helped that I was screaming in her head the entire time." She chuckled as everyone sat down.

"So, where are Desmond and Celeste?" Emmy asked.

"Desmond is in the restroom and Celeste had to sort out some resistance business," Sinead replied.

"Did Jai say anything before she went?" the professor asked.

"She's still here, actually," Sinead said. "I'm in control of the body, which is fair, seeing as it's _**my body in the first place**_," Sinead put emphasis on that last part.

"So Jai is there?" the professor asked.

"Yes, unfortunately," Sinead sighed.

"I must ask her a few questions about our conversation yesterday."

Sinead stayed silent for a moment, then turned to the professor and said, "Fire away."

"I want to know why she changed her mind and decided to give us the artefact."

Sinead paused again, a longer pause than the last. After a while, she spoke.

"Something about Vaughan getting the sword anyway, a traitor of unknown identity, the Grounds of Revival, or whatever, being incredibly dangerous and the prevention of its use being damn near impossible, and that when she told Vaughan that the grounds weren't ever supposed to be used again, he went completely ape-shit on her and said that he'd do whatever it took to get the grounds, no matter how many people had to die to make that happen. In a nutshell," Sinead said quickly.

"So, even if she and Aurora didn't get the sword, Vaughan would get it anyway?" Emmy asked.

"Yes," Aurora said. "He has spies everywhere. Even in the resistance. And if we decided against going after the artefacts, the spies would steal the sword, but if we decided to go ahead with finding them, the spies would wait until we had them all and steal them all in one go."

"We can trust no one," the professor said. "We must watch the artefact and the sword at all times." He removed the artefact from his pocket and looked at it.

"That symbol..." Sinead said, looking at it. "I saw it... when Jai stabbed the monster. It was a weak spot... it glowed when the sword was near it."

"It is the Azran symbol for rebirth," Aurora said. "It was all over the chamber we found it in."

"Either way, Vaughan will get the artefacts," the professor muttered. "How does Jai know this?"

"The darkness souls have warned her," Aurora said. "They can see into the future. They are taunting her, because they know that they will be released via the Grounds of Rebirth. They will enter the bodies of those buried there and wreak havoc across this world, ruining the lives of many. That is why we must stop Vaughan, because he will not listen. That is why Jai has agreed to help find the artefacts, because Vaughan will only learn of the true terror of the Grounds of Rebirth if he experiences the horror of it firsthand."

"Then why are we trying to stop him if it's fruitless?" Flora asked.

"Because if we're there when he uses the grounds, we may be able to stop the darkness souls from entering the world before they do too much damage," Sinead chimed in. "Jai just said it there."

"Then we must go in search of the second artefact," the professor decided.

"As soon as I get out of the hospital," Sinead said. "This may be some time."

"When are the doctors seeing you?" Luke asked.

"In a few hours, probably," Sinead yawned. "They said a few minutes, but I can read between the lines."

"Yeah," Emmy agreed. "I probably would have bled out in the corridor if Carla hadn't been there. Apparently I was out cold in the corridor for about three hours before they actually got me a bed."

"Yep, that's the Irish healthcare system for you," Sinead said.

"How is your arm?" Layton asked.

"Broken to bits," she replied. "I've got three fractures, here, here and here," she said pointing to three areas around her elbow, "And my funny bone is broken, a clean break, my wrist snapped, because Jai threw it out in front of her before that Man Mountain threw her off his arm... yeah, my arm is pretty banged up. It'll be grand, though, because I've still got another arm."

Emmy smiled. "That's the way to think."

"Yeah, unlike Jai," Sinead said. "Jai and her _**humans are a pathetic waste of space; they are selfish cannibalistic beings because they eat food and actually own stuff...**_"

Emmy laughed.

"You'd think it was a sin to live, with her around, wouldn't you?" Sinead laughed. She paused. "Ooh, Jai's angry," she said in sarcastic fear. "Somebody hide me."

The conversation went on like that, mainly just bitching about Jai. Emmy tapped the professor on the shoulder. She turned, startled.

"Can I have a word, professor?" Emmy asked in a whisper.

He nodded and they got up. "We're just off to get tea," Emmy said and the two left.

* * *

Emmy went over to the waiting area and sat down. Layton followed.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Well..." Emmy sighed. "It's about... yesterday. When you said that we could... go out again sometime..."

"Yes?" the professor said.

"I wonder if... tomorrow suits you?"

The professor looked surprised. Emmy stammered. "But if you don't want to, I-I really... I mean..." she blushed. "We should go." She stood up.

The professor smiled. "So we'll meet at that restaurant we ate at with Celeste at six thirty?"

Emmy beamed and nodded, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Alright. Tomorrow at six it is. I'll try not to be late; you know how time keeping in Ireland is these days." He smiled and walked away.

Emmy felt dazed. "He said yes," she thought, incredulous to the fact that the professor would actually consider even looking twice at her. "HE SAID YES!"


	17. A Set-up Gone Wrong

Chapter 16 – A Set-up Gone Wrong

The doctor approached Layton and co., who were waiting at reception for news of Sinead's condition. Layton smiled as the doctor approached.

"Well, how is she?"

"The doctor sighed. " Is she... always so..."

"Uncooperative?" Luke asked. "Oh yeah."

The doctor smiled. "Well, she has several fractures and she has a broken Humorous, but we've also found several torn ligaments and worn down cartilage as well, which I'm afraid to say, could take several months to heal properly."

"Months?" Luke asked incredulously.

"Yes. These things take a lot of time to heal. The bones should heal in no time at all, a few weeks, but the ligaments were very badly torn, so they will take a lot longer, if they'll ever heal properly at all..."

Layton sighed. "I see."

Desmond sighed also. "Great. We can't get the artefacts without Jai and she can't get them with an injured arm. We're out for at least a month. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I suggest we try to do a bit more sleuthing to figure out some of Vaughan's motives and plans," Layton suggested.

"How?" Luke asked. "So much of this mystery is shrouded in mystery. He's barely left a trace of his motives, and we don't even know his real name."

"Jai said it before," Aurora said. "His name is Aleks."

"Aleks..." the professor thought. " We need more information. If we can dig up some of his past, such as where he's from, who his family are, his criminal record..."

"But they were all erased," Flora pointed ut. "I searched for it before, but there was nothing."

"If we can get a surname and a nationality, we should be able to find him," the professor said.

"I... I have the sketch... the one I did with the girls," Emmy said, taking it out of her pocket and handing it to the professor.

"The professor took it from her. As he took, he noticed that her hand was shaking. Their eyes met. All Layton could see was fear. He took her hand briefly she smiled.

The professor opened out the drawing and took a long look at the man pictured. He looked around fifty, around the same age as Bronev. He had grey hair and a cleanly shaven face. He had a thin nose and large brown eyes. His face was thin and he had a square jaw. Luke looked at it over his shoulder. He frowned.

"I... I think I recognise him," Luke said, squinting at the picture. "But I don't know where..."

"Yeah," Flora agreed, nodding her head. "I think I do too."

"Hmm," the professor frowned. But his thoughts were interrupted by someone taping his shoulder.

"Let's go," Sinead grinned, heading for the door. She had her arm in a sling and cast and as raring to go.

"But... shouldn't you stay here and rest?" Emmy asked, tearing her eyes away from the drawing.

"Nah, I'm going. This place is boring. I'm going to the chipper, I'm starving. Anyone care to join me?" she asked.

Luke nodded. "Count me in. I'm hungry."

Flora smiled. "Luke, you're always hungry. How can such a small boy pack away so much food?"

"Because I'm hungry," Luke said. "C'mon, let's go!" He ran out the door with Flora and Aurora running after him, giggling.

Sinead walked on. Emmy smiled at the professor. "Coming?" she said.

"Layton held out his arm and smiled. " Whenever you're ready," he said.

Emmy beamed and took his arm, and they followed the children to the car.

* * *

Carla's phone rang suddenly. She answered it. "Hello?" she asked.

She listened at the phone for a moment and sighed. "For the last time, no! I have not spoken to Emmy about you yet; she's not back from wherever it is that she's gone to! I—"

She stopped again. She sighed.

"Look Vinnie— Vinnie! I'll call you! I – will – call- you! Goodbye!" she hung up. "The guy is desperate! Honestly!"

"But he cheated on her! Why does he expect her to take him back?" Xavier demanded.

"Because he's a jerk," Aldaz replied.

Carla sighed. "He was tricked by a girl who really doesn't like Emmy, that's all. It really wasn't his fault this time. But he did make Emmy happy. He made her laugh and smile. It was only when she came back after her trip to Ohio that things took a bad turn between them."

"Why did she go to Ohio?" Aldaz asked.

"I'm not sure," Carla replied. "I got a phone call from her one day and she said that she was going to Ohio for a few weeks and not to worry. It was when she was gone that the whole thing between Vinnie and Stacey happened. Vinnie felt really guilty about what happened, so Stacey took advantage of that and rubbed it in Emmy's face as soon as she got back."

"Why does this she hate Emmy so much?" Aldaz asked.

"Well, sometimes people do bad things," Carla replied. "But Stacey only hates Emmy because she's jealous of her. Think about it. Who isn't jealous of Emmy? She pretty, smart, funny, kind..."

Randall nodded. "Emmy's a great girl. She just needs a man who appreciates her."

"Vinnie appreciates Emmy fine," Carla said. "He just has... commitment issues."

"Well then Emmy deserves better, now more than ever," Angela said firmly. "Especially after what has happened to her in the past few days."

"You're probably right," Carla said. "But try explaining that to Vinnie."

Henry and Raymond entered the room with a tea tray and several plates of biscuits.

"Thank you, Henry, Raymond," Angela smiled gratefully, taking a cup.

"Thank you," everyone else chimed in.

They both smiled and stood behind the sofa.

"I think we should set Emmy up with a new guy," Xavier said firmly. "A good guy. Someone she'll really like."

No one responded to this.

"C'mon! Suggestions people!" Xavier demanded.

"Well..." Celeste began, looking up from the pile of resistance papers in front of her.

Xavier rounded on her. "What? You have an idea? Hit me!"

"Well..." Celeste smiled. "I've noticed a rather peculiar... stare that Emmy has reserved for Hershel. Last night when we were at dinner she simply couldn't take her eyes off him. And I'm sure Bronev mentioned that they were holding hands at the hospital when he went in and told her that they were discharging her. Right Leon?"

Bronev grunted.

Xavier grinned at this.

"Ooh, I'd love it if Emmy got with Hershel," Brenda sighed. "I've said before to Clark that Hershel could really do with a good woman in his life. Didn't I Clark?"

"Yes, many times," Clark grinned. "I agree, though. Hershel cold really do with a good girl."

"So, what's the plan?" Xavier asked.

"Huh?" Aldaz asked, confused.

"The plan! To get them together!"

"Hmm," Celeste said, deep in thought. "This will take a good plan."

Xavier grinned mischievously. "I've got it."

* * *

"Luke?" Flora asked. Aurora laughed. Luke was wolfing down his burger as fast as humanly possible. Even Emmy had stopped eating to watch this spectacle.

Luke tore off half the burger with his teeth and chomped heavily on it. Emmy pulled a rotten face.

"Luke, can you shut your mouth when you're eating?! I can see the whole slaughter house!"

Flora and Aurora burst out laughing and the professor shook his head in disbelief.

Emmy pushed her plate away from her. "I can't eat this now, I feel sick. Thanks, Luke."

Luke smiled widely, revealing the mashed up burger and chips in his mouth and the drool that was coming out of his mouth. The girls all winced.

"Eew!" Flora squealed.

"Luke, stop! That's disgusting!" Emmy cried.

"Now, Luke," the professor warned. "Stop messing with your food and eat properly, like a gentleman."

Luke swallowed his mouthful and smiled sweetly. "Yes, Professor." And he took a normal sized bite out of his burger.

Sinead shook her head. "Jesus," she muttered. She finished her burger and scooped up the last few chips on her plate, throwing them into her mouth. She checked her watch. "It's almost swap time. I'll be going son. Thank god, my arm's killing me."

Luke stared incredulously. "You've finished? Already?

"Yeah. Seeing as Jai doesn't eat, I've built up quite an appetite," Sinead said, wiping her face o a napkin and getting up. "I'll pay for this. See it as a thank you for keeping me company while I'm here." She smiled at everyone and left for the till.

"She's a nice girl," Flora said. "Why can't Jai be more like her?"

"Now Flora," Emmy said. "You know it's not her fault. Everything here is so different for her. You can't blame her for being a bit disorientated."

"Yes," Aurora said. "She's very confused about the way your people act and do things. She feels very out of place here. I do too, actually."

"Really?" Luke said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I... you were all so busy with resistance and school and everything else..," aurora trailed off.

"Hmm," Emmy said, deep in thought. "You know what I think you would benefit from, Aurora?"

"What?" Aurora asked.

"If you went to school! With Luke I mean. And I think Flora should go too. I mean, who knows how long we'll be here, and we can't let Flora fall behind with her study, can we? What do you think, Professor?"

"Well, I can certainly see where you're coming from, Emmy," the professor smiled. "And you're right in saying that we have no idea of how long we'll be here, so I would have to agree with you."

Emmy smiled.

"I'll go in and talk to the principal about places and such."

"I think Xavier and Aldaz should also go," Emmy smiled. "It might keep them out of trouble for a bit."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I can't wait for that! It'll be great! Aurora, what do you think?"

"I... I don't know," Aurora frowned. "What's t like?"

"It's pretty good most of the time, it's just the homework that bothers me," Luke said. Emmy smiled.

"It's really not so bad there, once you've settled in and everything."

Aurora smiled. "I want to do it. But Luke, I thought you said it was "a big old depressing building where you get taught stuff you will never use later in life"?"

The professor looked at Luke, surprised. Luke went red and said, "Well, I..."

Emmy grinned. "He probably didn't mean it, Aurora. Don't pay any attention to it."

Aurora nodded, smiling.

"I have to go too?" Flora said.

"Yes, the professor said.

"But things are different here to England," Luke pointed out. "Flora will probably be doing continuous assessment for her actual exam, but over here they have one big exam at the end of the course. What will Flora do?"

"Hmm," Layton thought. "I'll call her school and talk with her guidance councillor."

"Okay." Flora continued eating.

The children continued chatting. Emmy smiled at the professor and he returned it. Emmy was still in shock. She couldn't believe that the professor was going out with _**her**_. _**Tomorrow**_. She smiled to herself.

But things took a turn for the worse.

Vinnie entered the chipper, strolling in, in his usual manner. But he stopped when he saw Emmy.

Emmy's face went red as he approached her. The professor noticed this and he looked up.

"Emmy." Vinnie's expression was emotionless, if not cold.

Emmy glared at him. "Vinnie."

"... How are you?" Vinnie asked casually.

"Great. Never been better. You?"

"I'm fine."

There was silence as Emmy glared at Vinnie and he stared expressionlessly back at her. The Professor cleared his throat.

"Who are you, then?" Vinnie asked the professor.

"Ah. I am Professor Hershel Layton, of Gressenheller University."

"Emmy told me about you." Vinnie smiled. "She used to say your name when we had sex."

Emmy flushed. "No I didn't! Really, I – Professor, he's lying!"

"Look, Emmy. We all know you like him, so why not just ask him out so that he can say no and we can get back together?"

"Because I don't want to go out with a lying cheating scumbag like you," Emmy spat.

"Not because you don't like him? How touching," Vinnie mocked.

"You're really not winning any points with me here," Emmy said in a bored tone.

"I don't need to."

"Really? Remind me, now, which one of us went crawling on his knees, begging for me to get back with him after he cheated with Stacey? Hmm?"

Vinnie said nothing. Emmy smiled sweetly.

"There you go."

"Emmy, listen—"

"No, you listen. I don't want to be with you. I can't forgive you for what you've done. So just go and pester some other girl for sex, because I'm not interested!"

Vinnie sighed. "I'm sorry for what I've done."

Emmy said nothing.

"And I'm sorry for what I've just said."

Emmy nodded.

"... So... we can still be friends? I mean... only if you want to."

"Um..." Emmy looked at Vinnie, who was giving her Bambi eyes. Emmy grinned. "Okay."

Vinnie grinned back. "Cool. Hey, listen. I'm meeting the guys for drinks in McDaid's at eight. Wanna come?"

Emmy beamed and nodded.

"Great! See you then." He left.

There was an awkward pause as everyone tried to figure out what just happened. After a while, Luke spoke.

"So... what?"

"What?" Emmy asked.

"Are you friends again?"

"Yep," Emmy smiled.

"Okay, then. Good."

"What was that all about?" Flora asked.

Emmy sighed. "He's my ex. He kind of... cheated on me with another girl. We broke up."

"Ah," the professor said.

"But that was six months ago," Emmy frowned. "I'm surprised he isn't with another girl. I know his type. He has one girlfriend for every day of the week."

Flora smiled. "Yeah."

"He's a nice guy, though, as a friend."

"That's good," Luke said.

Layton checked his watch. "It's almost six o'clock. We had better head back before everyone starts worrying."

"Yes," Emmy said, getting up.

Sinead returned with a sullen expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" Emmy asked her.

"Yes," she said. "Changing between personalities can be a painful experience for the body, that's all."

"Oh, so you're Jai now?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Jai said.

"We're just going back to the house, are you coming?" the professor asked.

Jai nodded.

"Right," the professor said, and they left.

* * *

"Is everything ready?" Carla asked.

"Yep," Xavier replied, checking his watch. "It's getting late, so they should be along any minute."

"I don't think this s going to work," Aldaz said.

"Sure it will," Xavier said, winking. "Trust me."

Aldaz shrugged as a car pulled up outside the house.

"Action stations!" Xavier cried.

"This is a pathetic plan," Aldaz said to Antonio, who nodded.

Carla smiled. "Let Xavier have his fun, and he can take all the blame if it goes wrong."

Antonio grinned. "Good idea. And if it goes well?"

"It was all my idea," Carla grinned.

"The front door opened.

"Right," Carla whispered. "Hey Emmy?" she called. "Is that you? Can you come here a minute?"

"Alright!" Emmy called back, making her way to the living room.

She opened the door, and a bucket of water came flying down on her. She coughed and gasped, drenched.

"What the hell?" she demanded. The professor ran over to see if she was alright.

"Emmy! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Who did that?!" he demanded.

"Eh, that was me," Xavier said sheepishly. "It was meant for Antonio, but he evaded it and we all got talking and I forgot it was there. Sorry, Emz."

Emmy glared at him.

"Look, you go up and have a shower and I'll go lay out some clothes for you in the spare room," Carla offered.

"Thanks, Carla," Emmy said, wiping some o the water out of her eyes. She gave Xavier another filthy look before walking away.

"I really am sorry!" Xavier called. He grinned. Aldaz gave him a disgusted look.

Carla rooted through Emmy's bag and pulled out a yellow turtle neck sweater and a pair of jeans. She turned to the professor. "Go up to the spare room and put them in there, would you?" she asked.

"But of course," the professor said, taking the clothes and leaving the room. The professor went up the stairs, where he passed Luke.

"Are they for Emmy?" he asked.

"Yes," the professor answered.

"I'll take them for you," Luke offered.

"Thank you, my boy," the professor said, handing them to Luke and going into the kitchen.

As Luke went into the spare room, Xavier went out of the living room and up the stairs. He shut the door and locked it. He then sloped off into Luke's room laughing.

Luke heard the door close and frowned. "What?" he asked himself. He went to open the door, but it was locked. "Hey!" he sighed and sat down on the bed. "Emmy will let me out when she's done in the shower," he thought.

* * *

Emmy got into the hot shower. She felt calmer in there than she was earlier. She felt the hot water trickle down her back and shoulders. She sighed. "That's better," she thought.

She began to sing. She always did this in the shower; she had always loved to sing. She remembered when her mother used to sing t her. She used to sing to Emmy every night, without fail, and Daniel too, right up until the day she died. She always sang the same song, her favourite song. Emmy was singing it now.

Minamo ni ukanda hoshi no hikaritachi wa utau Kono kokoro wa anata no mune yorisoitsuzukeru Komorebi kirameku mori no shizukutachi wa utau Kono hitomi wa anata no yume mite nemuru darou

Fukai mizu no soko shizumu inochitachi kazoete  
Itsuka wa kono negai ga todoku koto o shinjiru  
Ima wa eien no shizukesa dake tatazumasete  
Aisuru mono no namida umi ni kawaru

Sen'ya no kanata ni anata ga hohoemu hi ga kuru no nara  
Mou nido to naku koto wa nai  
Sen'ya no kanata ni anata to deaeru hi ga kuru koto o  
Yume ni mite kono uta o utaou

Aisuru hito no egao ni futatabi deaeru  
Haruka na toki no mukou yakusoku shinjite  
Sora ga tsunagaru mirai ni anata wa iru kara  
Omoi ni michibikarete ima ano hi ni kaeru

Anata dake ni sasageru namida wa tsukiru koto naku  
Anata dake o omoitsuzukete nemuru

Aisuru anata o omoitsuzukete nemuru yo ima

Emmy finished her song and got out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around herself and left the bathroom.

She went to the spare room and tried the door handle, but it was locked, with the key still in the lock. "How odd," she thought. Emmy unlocked the door and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, she felt someone push her in.

Emmy fell to the floor, shocked. "What the hell?" she yelled angrily as someone locked the door.

Emmy stood up and banged on the door. "Let me out!" she yelled.

"You're not coming out until you settle your differences!" a familiar voice yelled back.

"Xavier! You little – let me out! I'll kill you!" Emmy screamed. She sighed and turned around to see Luke sitting on the bed, looking scared. Emmy felt herself turn red and pulled the towel tighter around herself.

"WH-what are you doing in here?" she spluttered.

"I think Xavier locked me in," Luke whispered.

"What were you doing in here in the first place?" Emmy demanded.

"The professor had some of your clothes for when you got out of the shower, and I offered to bring them up for you, you know, to be nice, but after I went in here, Xavier locked the door, and I just waited here because I thought you would let me out when you got here, but—"

"He locked me in too." Emmy sighed and sat on the bed beside Luke. "What are we going to do with that Xavier, eh?"

Luke laughed and Emmy laughed too.

"Seriously, though, I am going to kill that boy when we get out of here."

"Yeah, I'll help," Luke agreed. "I'll pin him down and you punch him in the stomach."

They laughed again.

"It's cold in here," Emmy shivered.

"I'm not cold," Luke said.

"Well, duh, you're actually wearing clothes Luke!"

"Put some on, then. Do you want me to turn around?"

"No, Luke. You take a good long look at my naked body. Take pictures if you like."

"Right, dumb question." Luke got up and went to the corner of the room. He turned to face the corner and covered his eyes.

Emmy smiled and reached for underwear. She had just dropped the towel when she heard someone unlock the door.

"What- NO DON'T COME IN!" she screamed, darting frantically for the towel, but it was too late.

The professor had already opened the door.

Emmy frantically tried to cover herself as Luke looked to see who it was.

"Huh? Aargh!" he turned away and covered his eyes again.

"What's going on in here?" someone called from in the hall.

"Oh god, Leon!" Emmy cried.

"Nothing!" the professor shouted, his face turning a shade of magenta, darting in and grabbing Luke by the collar. He dragged him out and slammed the door behind him.

Emmy pulled the towel back around herself and sighed. "Why me?" she asked. "Why do these things always have to happen to me?"


	18. The Four Elements of the World

Chapter 17 – The Four Elements of the World

Jai looked out of the window and sighed. She heard high-pitched screaming coming from the spare room and wondered if this was a common occurrence in this world at half past six in the evening. She smiled.

Aurora came in and sat down next to her. "How is your arm?" she asked.

Jai merely grunted.

Aurora sighed. "Look. I am here if you ever need to talk. About anything. Alright?"

"Then can I ask you something?" Jai asked.

Aurora smiled "anything."

"Why is there screaming coming from the spare room?"

"I have no idea," Aurora commented.

"Is this a common occurrence at half past six in the evening?"

"I... don't think so, Jai," Aurora replied, feeling a little confused. "Let's go and see, shall we?"

"Yes." Jai got up and Aurora followed suit.

* * *

Emmy, who was now fully clothed, stormed down the stairs. "Xavier!" she yelled. "Where are you?!"

She heard his laughter coming from the living room and ran in. She approached him furiously and grabbed the front of his shirt.

Xavier stopped laughing and suddenly looked alarmed. "I didn't mean anything by it, I swear Emz! I was all Carla's idea!"

"Lies!" Carla exclaimed. "Utter lies!"

"What on earth were you thinking?!" Emmy yelled, shaking him.

"Calm down, Emmy, it was just a joke!" Xavier yelled back.

The professor stepped forward and pried Emmy off of the boy. "Now Emmy, calm down. There's sure to be a reasonable explanation for all of this."

Emmy let go of Xavier and folded her arms. "Well?" she demanded.

"Xavier cleared his throat. " Well," he began, "I thought it would be funny if you and the Professor were in a room, you know, together... naked."

Emmy went red. "So why did you lock Luke in there?"

"Yeah!" Luke demanded.

"Luke? Oh! Sorry, man, I thought you were the professor in there!"

Emmy sighed. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah, he is," Antonio sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry, Emmy, he didn't mean anything by it. Did you, Xavi?" Antonio glared at him.

"No!" Xavier exclaimed. "I'll never do it again! Carla, next time you're doing your own dirty work!"

"What!" Carla exclaimed. "But it was all you! I had nothing, _**nothing**_ to do with this!"

"You said that Emmy needed a good boyfriend and everyone else agreed that the professor was a good match for her, so I thought that—"

"— you would butt in, yeah, hence it wasn't my idea, and it had nothing to do with me." Carla smiled sweetly.

Xavier scowled. "I hate you."

"I love you too." Carla grinned. "I'm sorry, Emmy, Professor, I never thought he would take it that far. Don't take it personally."

The professor and Emmy, whose blushes had been increasing since the beginning of this conversation, both nodded.

"And now that you've finished your little dispute, I have information for you," Jai said, making the others jump. She smiled and sat down on the armchair, crossing her legs and folding her arms.

The professor and Emmy both sat down and looked at Jai attentively.

"I'm sorry Jai, that was—" the professor began.

"— None of my concern," Jai finished. "Now do you have any questions before I begin?"

"Yes, many," the professor said. "Firstly, how many of these artefacts are there?"

"There are four artefacts in total," Jai replied. "There is one artefact for each of the Elements of the World."

"Elements of the what?" Luke asked.

The World," Jai repeated. "There are four elements of the world, without which, survival would not be possible. These elements are earth, air, water and fire. The artefacts, renaissance artefacts as you call them, are actually called the "Idols of the Four", the Four referring to the four elements of the world."

"So, that monster you fought to get the artefact, was a sort of protector of the artefact?" the Professor asked.

"Yes. That monster was Melchiah, God of the Earth. The artefact he protected was the idol of the earth."

"So, we have the idol of the earth?" Emmy asked her notebook in hand and scribbling this information down. "So we have yet to find the idols of water, air and fire?"

"Yes," Jai said. "They are hidden in the vicinity of the grounds themselves. The locations of each of the artefacts give a clue of where to find the grounds themselves, as well as unlocking the gates to the grounds."

"So all we have to do is get the other artefacts?" Luke asked. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"You weren't there to see the god of the earth, Luke," Clark warned. "Believe me, that thing was huge. I don't know how you managed to defeat that thing, Jai."

"These gods all have weak points," Jai said. "Only those who can find the weak points can defeat them. This shows strength of mind and body, and thus proves that you are worthy of using the Grounds of Rebirth. But this is all a trick by the darkness souls. That is why I must do this."

"But you can't use your arm for at least a month," Emmy pointed out.

"Then a month we will wait until we get the next artefact," Jai said. "I cannot put any of you in danger."

"We already are in danger," the professor said. "Vaughan is a dangerous man, and does not appear to take kindly to not getting what he wants. We are all involved in this, thus we are all in danger."

"Vaughan is not afraid to manipulate people," Bronev said. "He has killed before and wil kill again." Bronev took Emmy's hand as he said this.

"Precisely," the professor said. "Jai, we can get the artefacts. You don't have to do this alone."

"I do," Jai said. "You do not know the danger of the Grounds of Rebirth, whereas I do. I must do this alone, so that you do not get hurt."

"Jai, please—" the professor began.

"No. I will not change my mind, Mr. Layton."

The professor looked into Jai's eyes.

"You are in even more danger than you realise. You all are." Jai looked at everyone. "But I can prevent most of what is to come. I can prevent the destruction of this world if you will let me. But your world will fall apart if you interfere too much. Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"Very well," the professor sighed. "I suppose we will have to wait a month until we can get the next artefact, then."

"I can precede using one arm only, if that is what you wish," Jai offered.

The professor smiled. "That will not be necessary, but thank you. You should rest your arm, so that it can heal faster."

"We need to blend you in," Brenda said. "We need all the kids to blend in and stay out of Vaughan's sight, so that he can't use them to manipulate the resistance."

"An excellent suggestion," the professor smiled.

"As I said earlier, we should get them all enrolled into school," Emmy said. That way, they'll just appear to be regular kids going to and from school, like normal. I think Jai and Aurora ought to go as well."

"Right," Clark said. "We'll go into Luke's school tomorrow and try to get them places together. They should really stick together and try to keep each other out of trouble. That goes for the other resistance children as well."

"Can I leave you and Brenda to enrol the children into school?" the professor asked.

"Brenda smiled. " Leave it to us, Hershel. We'll do it first thing tomorrow morning."

Excellent," the professor smiled. "I should really call Flora's guidance councillor at her school to find out what course work she will need to get covered." He got up and left the room.

Luke smiled at Flora. "Are you excited to be starting your new school?" he asked. "I can't wait for that."

Flora sighed. "Yeah, me neither," she said sarcastically. "I can't wait to start getting bullied by new people."

Xavier patted Flora on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "If anyone bothers a resistance kid, they'll have me to deal with."

Flora smiled. "Really?"

Xavier smiled back. "You got it."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Xavier grinned. He turned away.

Flora smiled to herself as the others continued talking. "Hmm... Xavier..."


	19. The Date

Chapter 18 – The Date

That day ended and a new one began just as quickly. But Emmy hardly slept that night due to worries she had over the professor.

"Why did that have to happen the day before my date with him?" she asked frantically. "Why did Xavier have to do that?"

She sighed heavily. "What must the professor think of me?"

Or the bigger question: "What does he think of my body?"

* * *

"Emmeline?" Bronev asked. "Are you alright?"

They were at the breakfast table and Emmy was at the hob cooking breakfast for everyone.

"You're very quiet this morning," he continued. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Emmy sighed. "I'm fine."

"Is it about yesterday?" Brenda asked. "Look, Xavier didn't mean any harm, he just got carried away. You know how boys are at that age."

"Yeah, I know," Emmy sighed.

"Is it something else?" Brenda asked. Emmy nodded.

"I really need to talk to you Brenda. Can we go somewhere else?"

Brenda nodded. Clark got up.

"I'll finish this. You go."

"Thank you, dear," Brenda smiled, kissing her husband on the cheek. She grabbed Emmy's arm and led her out of the kitchen.

Clark smiled. He turned to the professor. "Girls, eh?" he laughed.

The professor smiled back, but didn't say anything.

Emmy and Brenda entered the living room and sat on the sofa.

"So, what's the problem?" Brenda asked.

"Well..." Emmy didn't know what to say.

Brenda smiled. "Why don't you start from the start?"

Emmy gulped and nodded. "Well... yesterday... I sort of... asked the professor out. He said yes..."

"Oh Emmy! That's fantastic!" Brenda cried.

"But after what happened yesterday, I'm not sure if he still wants to go."

"Well, if he had a change of heart, he would have told you," Brenda pointed out."

"Well, he might want to preserve my feelings," Emmy pointed out.

"Hershel of all people knows that prolonging the agony only makes things worse," Brenda said matter-of-factly. "Trust me, I know. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Er... I don't know..." Emmy trailed off anxiously.

"Well, he's bound to be wondering what you're thinking. I'll talk to him later. For now, just assume that the date is going ahead. And if it does go ahead, I know of at least a half a dozen people who will want to do your make up," Brenda smiled. "I included."

Emmy smiled back. "Yay," she said sarcastically.

Brenda beamed at her. "Come on. Let's get you some breakfast. You look famished, and that isn't really going to be a very good look for your date."

Emmy smiled. "Thank you. I feel much better about it all now."

Brenda smiled back and squeezed Emmy's and. "no problem."

They went back into the kitchen. The professor looked up as soon as they entered.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"No," Brenda smiled at him. "Everything's fine. Can I have a word with you, about Luke? After breakfast?"

"But of course," the professor smiled back.

What about me?" Luke asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"Never you mind," Brenda smiled. Clark placed two plates on the table, one for Luke and one for Brenda.

"Thank you, dear," Brenda beamed, kissing her husband again. Luke pulled a rotten face.

"Urgh, Mum, you're putting me off my food!"

"That'll be the day, Luke goes off his food!" Brenda laughed. "I'd save a fortune on food shopping, I'll tell you!"

Emmy laughed. She turned to Clark at the hob. "You sit down, Mr. Triton, I'll finish this."

"Thanks, Emmy," Clark smiled. "And please, call me Clark. Any friend of Hershel or Brenda's is a friend of mine."

Emmy smiled and turned back to the breakfast.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Clark asked, taking his seat at the head of the table.

"School, homework, eat and sleep," Luke yawned. "No different to any other day."

"I have to go and enrol the kids. How many am I enrolling? Six? Seven?"

"The list is on the table," Emmy called.

"Thank you, Emmy." Brenda picked up the list and scanned through it.

"Where are the girls?" the professor asked. "Jai, Flora and Aurora?"

"Upstairs in the spare room," Luke replied. "Do you want me to get them?"

"Finish your food first, though," Brenda told him, taking a bite of egg and bacon. She turned back to the list. "Who are Leon Keez and Keith Lyster? And..." she squinted at the list. "Daffyd O'Reilly? And Lawren Toothall?"

"Oh, they're other resistance kids from this sector," Emmy replied. "They're personal details are in the file there." Emmy pointed to a folder beside the list. "If they ask for dates of birth and stuff then it's all in there."

"Okay. Thank you." Brenda put the list and the file into her bag. She returned to her breakfast.

Emmy went to the table and placed three plates of breakfast on the table, one in front of the Professor, one in front of Clark and the other in front of Bronev.

"Thank you, my dear," Bronev smiled kissing her on the cheek. Emmy smiled and kissed him back.

Luke sat back and sighed contentedly, his food gone. Emmy smiled at him.

"Go upstairs and ask the girls if they want some breakfast, will you?"

"Okay." Luke got up and left the table.

* * *

"What is school like?" Aurora asked. "What is it like in... what do you call it... class?"

"It's really boring most of the time," Flora replied, looking in the mirror and playing with her hair. "You just sit there and listen to the teacher blather on at you. That's what I do, anyway."

"But I cannot read or write in English," Aurora pointed out. "What will I do?"

Flora frowned. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I'm sure the school will get someone to teach you. It's pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. I'm sure you'll pick it up really easily. The Azran text you read looks really complicated."

"okay." Aurora smiled. "What is homework?"

"Its work, like schoolwork, that you have to do at home for the next day, otherwise you get in trouble at school," Flora replied.

"What sort of trouble?" Aurora asked.

"It depends on the teacher, really," Flora replied. "The worst you can get is a detention."

"That is a detention?" Aurora asked.

"It's where you miss your lunch break and you have to sit in a classroom with the teacher and write out lines."

"What are lines?"

"It depends again on the teacher. Some teachers make them up, like say, if you didn't do your homework, they'd make you write out "I must do my homework" one hundred times, but other teachers make you write out the school rules a few times. It depends on what mood the teacher is in."

Luke entered. "Do you want some breakfast? Emmy's making some."

"Yes please!" Flora said brightly. Aurora smiled and nodded.

Luke turned to Jai, who was sitting at the window, staring. "Do you want breakfast, Jai?"

"No," she said shortly.

"Um... okay." He turned back to Aurora and Flora. "It'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Thank you!" Flora beamed. Luke smiled back and left.

Aurora smiled. "Luke is a nice boy," she commented.

"Yeah," Flora agreed.

"Is Luke your mate?"

Flora frowned. "What?"

"Your mate. Have you bonded with Luke?"

"What do you mean by "bonded"?" Flora asked.

"The process where two people mate. I believe your people call it "sex"."

Flora blushed scarlet.

"Oh! I am sorry! I did not know that this term offended people. I have not offended you, have I?" Aurora looked worried.

"What? No, but... I didn't have sex with Luke. Why did you think that?"

"I'm sorry! I just assumed..."

"Luke is a nice boy, but I don't like him in that way!"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Flora smiled; her cheeks still pink. "It's okay."

There was silence. Jai smiled.

"I did tell you not to ask so many questions, Aurora," Jai said.

Aurora said nothing.

"It's okay. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Just... around other people, try to stay away from that topic," Flora warned.

"Okay," Aurora said, still looking worried.

"But you can ask me anything. I mean that." Flora smiled at Aurora.

Aurora smiled back. "Thank you, Flora."

"You're welcome. Let's go downstairs, I'm starving." Flora got up and went downstairs. Aurora followed.

Jai smiled to herself. "Humans are a strange people indeed," she thought to herself.

* * *

Flora sat down beside Emmy, who was tucking into her own breakfast. Emmy smiled as Flora sat down. "Hello, Flora!" Emmy smiled.

"Hi Emmy!" Flora beamed. "Is this my breakfast?"

"Yep. Tuck in!"

"Thank you!" Flora picked up the fork and started to eat.

The professor pushed his empty plate away. He then turned to Brenda.

"So what did you want to speak to me about?" he asked.

"Ah, yes. Come with me." Brenda got up and left the room. The professor followed.

* * *

They went to the living room and Brenda gestured for the professor to sit down. He did.

"Is there something wrong with Luke?" the professor asked.

"What? No, I only said that it was about Luke to draw attention away from the real matter. No, this is about Emmy."

"Emmy?" he asked.

"Yes. She told me that she asked you out yesterday."

The professor went pink. "Yes?" he said.

"Well, after what happened in the spare room yesterday, she doesn't think you want to go ahead with this date."

"And why does she think this?" the professor asked.

"Well, no one would blame you if you felt this way."

"But I do not. Actually, I am rather looking forward to spending some time with Emmy outside of the resistance."

"Oh really?" Brenda asked. "So, you and Emmy are just friends then?"

The professor's blush deepened. "For... for the moment... yes."

"So you do have feelings for Emmy?" Brenda asked.

The professor sighed. "This is very complicated."

"But it doesn't have to be," Brenda said. "Why don't you tell me how you feel about Emmy?"

"I... I care very deeply for Emmy. I know that she has been through a lot in the past and I don't want her to get hurt. I will not hurt her. I would never have said yes to her proposal of a date if I did not harbour some feelings for her, but..." he trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I'm worried... about what Celeste will think."

"Celeste?"

"Well, she is... Claire's mother."

Brenda sighed. "Oh, Hershel..."

"I still love Claire, but... I love Emmy too. They both mean the world to me... but if it were to upset Celeste that I was seeing someone else after Claire..."

"I'm sure she wouldn't think any less of you," Brenda said. "I know she wouldn't."

"But –"

"Why don't you talk to Celeste? Ask her what she thinks. And if she does get upset... well... it's only a first date, right? What's a night out to dinner between friends?"

The professor smiled and nodded. "You're right. I shall speak to Celeste when she gets here later."

"So you are going tonight?" Brenda asked.

The professor nodded. "A gentleman never lets a lady down."

Brenda smiled. "Emmy will be delighted. Come; let's go back before everyone else gets suspicious." Brenda got up and left.

The professor sighed, making his way out. "Oh Claire..."

* * *

The professor and Brenda re-entered the kitchen. Brenda stood behind Emmy, who was washing up and whispered in her ear, "He's still game if you are."

Emmy's face lit up and she nodded. She turned to the professor, who had just sat down, and smiled. The professor beamed back.

Luke sighed. "I'd better go. Bye everyone." He kissed his mother on the cheek and left for school.

Brenda sighed as she looked at the list again. "I'll probably have to get these kids and take them with me this afternoon," she said. "Emmy, when is Celeste coming? I need her to arrange or the kids to be at the school this afternoon, around noon?"

"She'll be here any minute," Bronev said, putting her phone back in his pocket. "So ill Desmond and that other girl... what's her name... Andrea?"

"I really don't think she likes me," Emmy said. "She was giving me filthy looks on the way back yesterday."

Brenda smiled. "Yep, that's Andrea for you."

"You know her?" Flora asked.

"Yes. She was in our year at university. Remember Hershel?"

"Well... yes."

"She always fancied you. She was going to ask you out, but Claire got there first. She wasn't too happy after that," Clark laughed.

Brenda gave him a quick dig in the ribs to silence him. Emmy turned and smiled at the Professor.

"So, you were quite the ladies man at Uni, huh?" she teased.

The professor shook his head. "Certainly not."

Clark laughed again. "Don't be so modest, Hershel. He had girls eyeing him up all over the show. Not half as many as I did, though, but I picked the best one." He put an arm around Brenda's waist, and she smiled. "Though I think it was the afro he had in first year that did the trick there."

"What? Come again?" Flora asked, shocked. "The professor had an _**afro**_?"

The professor smiled at Flora. "Yes. I got an afro when I was about sixteen. They were the height of fashion at the time."

"Yep, and he was the only lad in our year with one, so he stood out like a sore thumb," Clark laughed.

"I bet he did," Emmy smiled. "Angela showed me a picture of him with the afro when we were in Monte'dor. I think it suited you, Professor."

The professor laughed. "Yes, well, I outgrew it when I came to second year, so I got rid of it and started wearing hats instead."

"Your top hat?" Emmy asked.

"No, back then I wore caps, like the one Luke wears. I didn't get my top hat until I became a Professor."

"So that you would look the part?" Emmy said, smiling.

"Yes..." the professor trailed off. He remembered that those were the exact words that Claire said upon giving him the hat. _**"You're a fully-fledged member of the academic community now, so you've got to look the part."**_ He smiled.

Emmy beamed. "The afro suited you, but I think the top hat suits you much better. It really does!"

The professor beamed back, remembering Claire's words when she put the hat on him. _**"Very dashing, Hershel! It suits you, it really does! The picture of a true gentleman."**_

There was a knock on the front door. Brenda got up to answer it.

She went out and opened it to Celeste, Desmond and Andrea. "Hello, Celeste! I was just wondering when you were going to get here. I need you to get the children to meet up with me at the school so that I can get them enrolled. "

"Of course. I will make a couple of phone calls and arrange for you all to meet at the school. What time would suit you best?"

"Noon."

"That can be arranged," Celeste smiled.

"Thank you."

They all went into the kitchen and sat down. Emmy stood up and offered her seat to Celeste, who gratefully accepted it. Emmy went to the kitchen counter and picked up the kettle. "Would anyone like a cup of tea?" she asked.

Everyone nodded and Emmy filled the kettle to the brim. She set about making tea while Andrea turned to the professor, smiling.

"Hershel! Or should I say, Professor Layton?"

The professor smiled at her. "Hello, Andrea," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm very well, thank you. I've been thinking though, we haven't really had the chance to catch up, so I was wondering if you would like to go for dinner? Tonight?"

The professor froze. He looked at Emmy. "Er—"

"Sorry, but I asked first," Emmy said coldly. "We're going on our first date tonight. Right Professor?"

"Huh?" Flora asked. "Date? Why did nobody tell me about this?"

Andrea scowled at Emmy.

"Er... I'm terribly sorry, Andrea, but I'm afraid I have other plans tonight."

"We can meet you for a drink in McDaid's afterwards, if you like," Emmy offered.

"No, thank you," Andrea said coldly, glaring at Emmy.

Emmy smiled. "Suit yourself."

"Perhaps another time," Andrea said, turning back to the professor.

"Er..."

"No Raymond today?" Flora asked Desmond loudly, interrupting the conversation.

Desmond smiled. "No. He is on resistance duties. He is taking watch outside C.B.S. primary this morning."

"Oh. Okay." Flora sat back, struggling to find another topic to distract everyone away from Andrea's proposal. "Uh... when are Randall, Henry and Angela coming?"

"I'm not sure," the professor replied. "Sometime this afternoon, I expect."

"Okay," Flora said. "Uh..."

"Hershel, didn't you want to talk to Celeste about changing your watch time tonight, so you could go for dinner with Emmy?" Brenda said, winking.

The professor cleared his throat. "Right," he said. "Shall we?"

Celeste got up and followed the professor out of the room. They went to the living room and sat down.

* * *

"What do you really want to talk to me about?" Celeste asked. "You and I both know that you aren't on watch tonight."

"Yes," the professor said. He gulped. This was not how he was expecting to break this news to her. "Er..."

"It's about this date with Emmy, isn't it?" she asked.

The professor nodded.

Celeste smiled. "Hershel, listen. You are entitled to see whoever you want. It's none of my business."

"But ... Claire..."

"Claire is gone. She has been gone for almost eleven years now. It's time you moved on and met someone else. I never expected you not to ever be with another person after Claire."

The professor smiled.

"Go out with Emmy tonight and be happy. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you. And I know that you will treat Emmy well, and that's what she deserves. After that entire poor girl has been through, I know that you of all people will make her happy. I know that you will take care of her. And that's what she needs, now more than ever."

The professor nodded. "She told me... about what Vaughan did to her mother and brother. She told me that it was Vaughan who committed the arson."

"I thought she would," Celeste said, nodding. "This whole situation is upsetting her greatly. She needs a lot of support right now. But I know that you can give it to her." Celeste smiled. "Take her out tonight and make her happy. And make yourself happy too." Celeste walked away and back into the kitchen.

The professor smiled. "Thank you Celeste. Thank you so much."

* * *

They re-entered the kitchen. Bronev and Emmy had left the room and the others were engrossed in conversation. Celeste frowned.

"Where are Bronev and Emmy?" she asked Flora.

"I'm not sure. They both just upped and left out the back door. It was all very sudden."

"Thank you." Celeste left out the back door.

Celeste looked around the corner and saw Bronev and Emmy talking. She stayed where she was and listened.

"... so what is all this about you two going out?" Bronev asked.

Celeste smiled as she saw Emmy go red.

"We're going out for dinner tonight."

"And whose idea was this?"

"Mine. I asked him, he said yes."

"And it is your first date, yes?"

Emmy face was getting redder and redder.

"There's no need to get all embarrassed, I'm only asking. If he makes you happy, then you should be together. I don't want to judge you, I only want you to be happy." Bronev put an arm around her. Emmy smiled. She cleared her throat.

"I... I like him. I really like him. Ever since we first met... I've had... feelings for him. But... it never got in the way of my mission. I always put Targent first, and you..." she trailed off.

Bronev smiled. "And now it's time to put you first. I propose that you go on this date." He took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of notes.

Emmy blushed again. "No, you don't need to—"

"Yes, I do. You're not going to get a dress out of thin air, now, are you?" he smiled, handing her the money.

Emmy took the money and stared at it. Bronev took the money and stuffed it into her pocket.

"I only want you to be happy," he repeated. "And you of all people deserve to be happy; especially after all you've been through these past few months. Do you understand?"

Emmy nodded.

Bronev smiled. "I love you Emmeline," he whispered.

Emmy smiled back. "I love you too," she said, pulling him into a hug.

Bronev hugged her back and kissed her hair. He saw Celeste smiling in the background and smiled back.

Celeste went back inside and sat down again.

Jai entered, dressed in Sinead's school uniform, her arm still in its sling. Celeste frowned.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I must go to school," Jai replied. "I must blend in. Sinead is still here, in my head, and she will be taking over soon."

"Do you have books and everything?" Celeste asked.

"Yes, Sinead's bag is still in school," Jai replied. "She told me that she left it there before she went to town and got shot."

"Alright," she said. "Have you eaten anything?"

"No," Jai replied. "Sinead will eat when she is here. She—" Jai stopped and her eyes rolled. She collapsed into a seat.

"Jai?" Celeste rushed over to her side. Everyone else stared. Brenda rushed over as well.

"Jai?" Brenda asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

Sinead bolted upright, making Celeste and Brenda jump. "Sorry about that," she said, stretching. "Is there any bacon left? That Jai is a damn fool, refusing breakfast. I'm going to be late at this rate." Sinead got up and went over to the hob and switched it on, throwing a few slices of bacon and cracking an egg or two into the frying pans.

"Shouldn't you wash them first?" Brenda smiled.

"Nah, it'll be grand," Sinead replied, tipping eight or nine sausages into a third frying pan.

Brenda smiled and turned to Flora. "You wouldn't have a copy of your birth certificate, by any chance, would you?"

"Yeah, on my computer. I'll print it off," Flora said, getting up and heading upstairs.

Bronev and Emmy returned. The professor smiled at Emmy, who returned it. Brenda turned to Emmy. "Do you have a dress for tonight?"

"Not yet," Emmy said. "I'm going out today to buy one."

"The professor nearly choked on his tea. " There's really no need, Emmy, you look lovely as you are," he said, wiping his face.

Emmy beamed at him. "Thank you!" she said, blushing yet again.

Andrea continued to glare at Emmy, envy rising up inside her like a snake. "I really don't like that _**Chovanek**_ girl," Andrea thought bitterly to herself. "Or _**Altava**_, or whatever she's calling herself these days. What on earth is Layton thinking? There's a ten year gap between them! Maybe more!"

Andrea got up. "I have to go," she snarled. She stormed out.

Flora nodded. "She's definitely jealous," she said to Brenda.

"She was jealous of Claire too," Clark pointed out.

"I never liked that girl," Celeste said. "She used to bully my Claire at school, you know."

"Really? Oh, now I really don't like her," Emmy said angrily. Celeste smiled at her.

"Now, she is a very intelligent woman, don't get me wrong, but she's just—"

"— A stroppy cow, yeah," Brenda said. "She was always like that at university."

Celeste frowned. "She went to university with you? Claire never mentioned that. She never tried to pick on Claire, did she?"

"Oh, she tried alright," Brenda said. "Especially after she started seeing Hershel. But Claire was perfectly able to handle herself. And she had us looking out for her."

Celeste smiled. "That was good in university, but at school, Claire never really got on with the other kids. She was one of those kids who got bullied no matter how many timed they moved school. You know what I mean. Claire was never the... overly sociable type. She preferred to stay in her room and tinker around with electronics, taking things apart to see how they worked, that sort of thing. She often got bullied for having no friends."

"Yeah," Emmy said. "The only reason why a child gets bullied is because they're different to the stereotype that has been crammed down our throats. Claire was smart, wasn't she?"

The professor smiled. Yes. She was probably the single most intelligent person I ever met. She knew everything about everything, you know that sort of person. She had multiple interests and hobbies. That's what made er so popular at university. She shared a common interest with everyone."

Celeste smiled. "She gets that from her father. He was a brilliant man. He was fascinated with anything to do with physics, as was Claire. He was an engineer, but he aided Gressenheller with investigations into physics as well. That's what got Claire so fascinated with polydimentional physics. She was captivated by the subject ever since her father took her to work with him one day. She often went there to help with investigations and experiments, and no one was surprised when she went to Gressenheller to further her knowledge of the subject."

Layton smiled. "Yes, Claire told me all about her father. He truly was a brilliant man."

"How did you meet Claire first, Professor?" Flora asked.

"We first met in the music club in Gressenheller, actually. I played the piano, as did she. We first met there when she was playing Fur Elise on the grand piano, and we were friends ever since."

"She went to my textiles class as well," Brenda said. "We sat next to each other on the first day and we were best friends ever since."

"Yes, it was Hershel who first introduced me to Claire," Clark smiled. "But I could always tell that she wanted to be more than just your friend, Hershel. You could tell just by the way she looked at you."

Emmy began to feel uncomfortable. It was obvious that the professor still loved Claire, with all his heart. Emmy didn't know if she could ever make the professor feel the same way he felt about Claire.

Celeste saw that Emmy looked upset. She took her hand and smiled at her. She beckoned her closer, and Emmy knelt beside her. Celeste whispered into her ear, "don't worry. Hershel loves you. He does. But he loves Claire as well. Don't be discouraged by this, I'm sure thing will be alright between you two." She squeezed er hand. Emmy smiled back and stood up.

There was another knock on the door, and Flora went to get it. She returned with Carla, Antonio, Xavier and Aldaz in tow.

"Hey Emmy!" Carla said, going over to hug Emmy. Emmy smiled and hugged her back. She turned to Celeste. "I'm on watch at one o'clock today, right?"

"No," Celeste said, smiling. "I'll get Vinnie to cover for you. You're going shopping with Emmy in order to get her a suitable dress for her date tonight."

"Huh? What?" Carla looked at Emmy questioningly.

Emmy smiled. "I'm going on a date with the professor tonight." She placed a hand on the Professor's shoulder and smiled.

Carla grinned. "Well, you'll definitely need my help with that." she turned to Brenda. "And I assume you'll be helping as well?"

"You get the dress and I'll do the makeup," she smiled.

Emmy grinned.

"Well, if I wasn't looking forward to this date before, then I certainly am now," the professor smiled.

Emmy smiled back. "Me too," she said.

* * *

That afternoon, Emmy and Carla went to the city and spent hours looking at dresses, accompanied by Angela, who drove them there in her car. Emmy felt dazed as she was dragged around from pillar to post by Carla and Angela, who were looking at all kinds of dresses. After an hour of this, Emmy was exasperated. She never usually wore dresses, as she never usually went to formal occasions. Any other time, she would wear her work clothes, a button-up blouse and white pants with her yellow trench coat, or a tank top and jeans.

But apparently, this wouldn't cut it for her big date with the professor, the man of her dreams.

"Try this one!" Carla said; thrusting a cream coloured dress into her arms.

"Uh—"

"No, this one!" Angela threw a slim black one at her.

"Well—"

"Oh, what about that one?" Carla pointed.

Angela grinned. "Perfect! What do you think, Emmy?"

Emmy dropped the dresses onto the floor and looked in the direction that Carla was pointing. Her jaw dropped.

"I can't wear that!" she cried. "It's too low cut at the back! He'll think I'm some kind of hooker!"

"No, he'll think you're sexy!" Carla insisted. "Try it on!" she marched over and grabbed it.

"No!" Emmy cried. "No, no, no, no, no!"

It's perfect!" Carla exclaimed.

After ten minutes of arguing and forcing her into the dress, Carla and Angela stood back to admire their handiwork.

Emmy stood in the dress, scowling. "It's too low cut at the back. I'm not wearing it."

"It looks fine!" Carla insisted.

"But it has no back whatsoever! It almost comes down to my backside! What on earth will he think if I show up wearing this?"

"He'll think you're hot."

"Carla, he's a gentleman, not Vinnie," Emmy scoffed.

Carla looked at a young man who was passing. "Hmm," she thought. "Hey you! Yeah you! What do you think of this dress on her?" she twirled Emmy around.

The man grinned and wolf whistled. "I'd go out with her any day!" he exclaimed.

"That's it, we're buying it. Give it to me Emmy."

"No!"

* * *

The professor and Randall were sat in the living room. The professor sighed as Randall was having a big long rant about women.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, women are the single strongest beings on earth. They rear our children, they take care of us men..."

"Agreed," the professor said.

"But they never stop going on! You should ear Angela these days; "Randall, you're not going out on expeditions!" "Randall no, it's too dangerous!" "Randall, pick up your socks!" It's crazy!"

"Well, she has every right to be that way," the professor said. "After all, you did disappear for eighteen years. It's only natural for her to be protective of you after so much time spent away from you. And... I'd rather not comment on the socks."

"Oh, you'll know about it when you and Emmy get serious," Randall smiled. "I can see it now; Emmy Layton."

"Randall, please," the professor frowned. "I really don't think Emmy will want to go that far. She's very young yet. She has her whole life ahead of her. She will realise that she deserves better, that she deserves someone young and whole."

"Come off it, you're young yet, Hersh!"

The professor sighed. Randall frowned.

"You do love her, don't you?"

"Of course," the professor said, blushing. "I just... I don't know if she feels the same way."

"Open your eyes, Hershel!" Randall grinned. "Did you notice the way she stares at you? I've seen it from the first moment I saw you two together, way back in Monte'dor. She simply can't take her eyes off you! She's besotted!"

The professor sighed again.

"Look. Whose idea was it to go on this date?"

"Well..."

"Hers! She asked you, and you said yes! That tells you that she wants you!"

The professor smiled. He knew when he was beaten.

"Has she really never made a move on you before now?" Randall asked.

"Well..." the professor's mind drifted back to the hospital, where they held hands. And the tea shop where she kissed him...

"Well?" Randall asked.

"We sort of... kissed..."

"When was this?"

"Two days ago."

"And who started it?"

"Well... she did." Layton smiled.

"Exactly! She wants you, and you want her! Sorted!" Randall grinned. He punched the professor's arm. "You should really buy her some flowers, or something."

Layton smiled. "Daffodils."

* * *

After being forced into buying the dress, Emmy was dragged out of the dress shop and into a chemist, where Carla and Angela were trying to decide what makeup best suited Emmy's complexion. After spending some time deciding, they went to a shoe shop, where Emmy grabbed a pair of black pumps. "That'll do," she said. "Now let's get out of here."

They headed home and were there for four thirty. Brenda waited eagerly for their arrival.

Carla grinned at Brenda. "You're gonna love her dress," she sighed. "Did you kick the Professor out yet?"

"Yes, an hour ago," she said. "He's gone to Randall's hotel room to get ready. Though, I presume they'll be chatting about archaeology and the like until about fifteen minutes before he leaves."

Angela chuckled and they dragged Emmy upstairs to get ready. Flora and Aurora stared after them and smiled.

"They all seem pretty excited," Flora said. "I don't blame them either. I think Emmy and the professor are perfect for each other."

Aurora nodded. "What is a date?" she asked.

"It's when two people go out to... how do you put it earlier... become mates."

"Oh," Aurora said. "So they are going to –"

"No, Aurora."

Carla shut the door of the spare room and smiled. "So, where would you like to start, Emmy? Hair? Makeup? Dress?"

Emmy groaned. "Leave me alone," she said.

"Not likely," she said. "This date is going to be perfect, and we will start with your appearance." She took the dress out of the bag. "Now put this on." She threw it at Emmy.

Emmy caught it and sighed. She began to undress.

"I thought you were looking forward to the date, Emmy?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, but Carla picked out a dress, that was... unsuited to Emmy's liking," Angela smiled.

"It looks perfect on her," Carla insisted. "We just need some makeup to cover up the cuts on her arm and she'll look great."

"Yes, I see what you mean," Brenda said, looking at the half healed cuts on Emmy's arm. "Were they from the other night?"

"Yes," Emmy lied. "All the bruises and swellings have healed now."

"Just in time, too." Carla smiled as Emmy pulled the dress on. "See? It's perfect!"

Brenda frowned. "It's very low at the back, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's the point," Carla said. "We want the professor to appreciate Emmy's figure, seeing as she is in such good shape and all."

"I really don't think—" Emmy began.

"You look beautiful, the professor will love it," Carla insisted. She pushed Emmy down onto the bed and grabbed the makeup box. "Now to see to those cuts..." she began applying makeup to the cuts.

Emmy smiled as she watched them disappear from view.

"There! All gone!" Carla beamed. "Now to do your face."

"I'll do it," Brenda offered.

Carla handed her the makeup box and stepped aside.

"You're gonna look stunning Emz!"

* * *

The professor was sat at a table and was waiting for Emmy to arrive. He got there early, just in case. He checked his watch. It was six twenty five. He sighed nervously.

The waiter approached him. "Are you alright sir?" he asked.

"Yes, I am just waiting for my... girlfriend," he said.

"Alright." The waiter walked away.

The professor heard the doorway and looked over. There Emmy was, with Bronev. They walked over to the table. Emmy smiled nervously as she approached.

"Hello, Professor," she smiled.

"I'll leave you to it." Bronev turned to Emmy. "Have fun," he grinned. He walked away.

The professor stared at Emmy. He took in every detail of the woman before him. He could barely recognise her. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the crown of her head and a side fringe was left to one side. Her face was covered in makeup to make her features stand out. She was wearing a long satin blue dress that had a very low back and a slit in one side so that her bare leg was revealed. This was not the woman he recognised to be Emmy.

"Er..." Emmy trailed off. "What do you think?"

"You look... er... I really don't know what to say, Emmy..." the professor smiled. "You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, my dear. You look beautiful. Stunning. Those words don't even begin to describe you, Emmy."

Emmy beamed. The professor beamed back. He shuffled over. "Please, sit down," he said. he handed her the flowers. "These are for you."

"Thank you!" Emmy smelled them. "They're beautiful!"

Emmy sat close to the professor and looked around. She noticed that rather a lot of men were staring at her. She moved in closer to the professor. She felt very exposed in the dress. "Damn you, Carla," she thought.

The professor noticed how close Emmy was to him and put his arm around her. Emmy smiled and looked up at him. He smiled back.

The waiter came back. "I see that your girlfriend is here," he said. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes," the professor said, taking a menu from him.

As the waiter walked away, Emmy muttered, "girlfriend?" the professor looked at her. She smiled. "Am I your girlfriend, Professor?" she asked.

He smiled. "Only if you want to be," he replied.

Emmy beamed again and kissed him on the cheek. The professor smiled and looked at the menu. Emmy rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the menu too.

"Do you want one course of three, Emmy?" the professor asked.

Emmy looked at the prices. "One," she said. "This place is expensive."

She remembered that Celeste has said the same thing and laughed. The professor joined in.

The waiter returned. "May I take your order?" he asked.

"Yes," the professor said. "I'll take the roast beef."

"And I'll take the fillet steak, medium rare," Emmy said.

The waiter jotted this down and nodded. He left.

Emmy smiled as the professor let go of her. She took his hand. He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you," she said.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"For coming out with me. For being nice to me. For being my boyfriend..." Emmy trailed off and smiled at the professor.

The professor placed one hand on Emmy's shoulders and held her close. He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

Emmy sat still, surprised, but pleasantly so. She kissed him back, holding him closer. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tossed her head this way and that, trying to get closer to him. The professor wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his hand on her bare back.

"How very touching," a voice sneered.

The professor and Emmy broke apart; turning to see who it was that spoiled their moment. They saw Stacey Monroe and Andrea standing and watching them with smiles on their faces. Emmy glared at them.

"What do you want?"

"Emmy, don't be so rude." The professor straightened his hat and sat up.

"Yes, Emmy, listen to your father," Stacey grinned.

"He's not my father," Emmy said coldly. _**You bitch**_. Emmy omitted this detail in front of the Professor.

"Really? You wouldn't think so. He's what... ten? Eleven years older than you?"

"Says you, you went out with a fifty five year old!" Emmy exclaimed.

"For the money," Stacey added. "Not because I was actually attracted to him. You're attracted to him. That's sick."

"Oh yeah, because using someone for their money alone is so much better," Emmy said sarcastically.

"Now, Emmy—" the professor began.

"Yeah, Emmy, listen to your father," Andrea grinned.

"Listen you—" Emmy began, but she stopped. She looked at the professor. "I think it would be best if we left, Professor," she said, glaring at Stacey, "before there's any blood spill."

"Right," the professor said quickly, and they left.

"You look like a slut in that dress, Emmy!" Stacey called after her. "A hooker!"

Emmy ignored her and the pair walked out.

"I hate her!" Emmy said angrily. "She's such a... er... horrible person!"

"Right." The professor smiled.

"Let's go somewhere else, Professor. I'm not going to let her spoil our evening like that."

"Right you are," the professor smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

"Let's just walk for a bit," Emmy said, linking arms with the professor. They set off down the high street.

They had been walking for a few minutes when they ran into Desmond and Raymond.

"Ah, hello Professor Layton!" Desmond beamed. "And Emmy too! How goes the date? I thought you were having dinner?"

"We were about to, but we got interrupted by... an unsavoury pair," the professor said.

"Stacey and Andrea," Emmy explained. "They thought they'd come along and ruin my evening."

"Oh, really what a shame!" Desmond said. "Never mind. Why not go to La Tra up the road? It's very quiet in there, so you're sure to get a table."

"Thank you, Desmond!" the professor said appreciatively. "Come, Emmy."

And they set off.

Desmond smiled. "Young love, eh Raymond?"

"Yes master," he said.

* * *

They arrived at the restaurant and went to the waitress.

"Hello," the professor smiled. "Would we be able to book a table, perchance?"

"Of course!" she smiled. "Take table three over there. I'll bring you some menus in a moment."

"Thank you." The professor and Emmy sat down at their table.

Emmy smiled and rested her head on the professor's shoulder once more. "So... where were we?"

The professor smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Emmy kissed his mouth gently.

"Emmy? Emmy! Over here!"

Emmy and the professor broke apart again. Ann was calling her from the table behind them. She got up and came over, dragging her husband along with her.

"Hello, Ann," Emmy forced a smile on her face.

"You were right about Sinead! She was in school today and everything! I suppose I was right to believe you eh?" Ann smiled.

"Yeah."

"She made Gerard look like a right idiot for not believing you. Oh, and you must be Professor Layton?" she asked, holding out her hand. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I'm Ann Enright, Emmy's old English teacher. I teach Luke as well, he's told us so much about you."

"How do you do?" Layton smiled, shaking her hand.

"Emmy, this is my husband, James."

"Hi," he said awkwardly, shaking Emmy's hand.

"Oh, there's the waiter. We'd better go and order before he runs off again. Have a good evening, Emmy!"

"Yeah, you too!"

Ann left and went back to her table with her husband.

Emmy smiled at the professor. "We just can't get some alone time, can we?"

The professor laughed and Emmy joined in.

* * *

Half an hour later, they had finished their meal and were walking back to the Triton's place. The professor looked at Emmy and realised that she was shivering. He took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. Sh smiled.

"Thank you," she beamed. "Thank you for everything. I've had a wonderful time tonight."

The professor stopped walking. He put his arms around her and kissed her again. Emmy held him tight and kissed back, smiling. "I love you, Hershel Layton," she thought as she kissed him. "I love you so much."


	20. School

Chapter 19 – School

All of the resistance children had been enrolled by Brenda and Clark and they all got places at st. Colman's C.C., so that Monday, they were all due to start their first day. Flora felt anxious as the rest of that week and the weekend flew by faster than she wanted it to. She woke up on Monday morning feeling less than her best.

She, Aurora and Jai all got dressed into their new uniforms. Once Flora had her's on, she looked in the mirror and winced.

"Ew! This shade of green is revolting! And these jumpers are so itchy."

Aurora frowned as she looked into the mirror. "What do these colours do? Do they have different meanings?"

"Uh... I don't think so. We should ask Luke," Flora replied. She turned to Jai. "What do you think of this uniform?"

"I came back wearing this uniform, so it makes no difference to me." Jai rolled up her sleeves and pulled on her black leather shoes.

Flora sighed. "I really don't want to go. I'll get bullied again, just like my other school. I know it."

"What is bullied?" Aurora asked.

"It's when other people are mean to you for their own personal satisfaction," Flora explained. "For some people, picking on others makes them feel big and strong and powerful, but they're just idiots. It's said that bullies are cowards, and their right."

"Oh. I hope I will not get bullied," Aurora looked worried.

Flora smiled and put an arm around Aurora's shoulders. "I won't let anyone hurt you. We'll look out for each other, right?"

Aurora smiled back. "Right."

* * *

Xavier sighed. "This sucks," he said. "Why do we have to go to school? We're part of the resistance!"

"Antonio and I are part of the resistance, you're only here because I couldn't get someone to look after you and Aldaz at such short notice," Carla pointed out. "Just look on the bright side. At least you won't be sitting around bored all day, will you?"

"Yeah I will, I'll be in school," Xavier pointed out.

"Oh, just stop moaning. Look at Aldaz. You don't see him whining, do you?"

"No, but he's thinking it," Xavier grinned, nudging his brother. Aldaz shoved him back, trying to comb his hair while looking in the mirror. Xavier smiled. "Who are you trying to impress, then?"

"No one," Aldaz scowled, putting the comb down.

"Liar," Xavier teased. "Which one are you after? Flora or Aurora?"

Aldaz went pink.

"It's Aurora! I knew it!"

"Xavier, leave Ali alone. Even if he does like Aurora, it's none of your business," Carla snapped.

"Yeah sure," Xavier smiled. "Though, I would have gone for Flora, myself. She is one pretty lady."

Carla smiled as Antonio entered. "c'mon, you two, you're going to Triton's for breakfast."

"Ooh, Triton's! Aurora's there!" Xavier cried.

Aldaz sighed. "It's gonna be a long day."

* * *

"Luke? Will you get down here please? Your breakfast is ready!" Emmy called. She sighed and ran up the stairs to Luke's room. She knocked on the door. "Luke?" she asked. "Are you decent?"

No reply.

Emmy pushed the door open to see Luke sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. Emmy grinned mischievously. "Time to take inspiration from my dear uncle," she thought. She crept over to Luke's side and reached out. She pinched his nose shut.

Luke choked and gasped for air. "EMMY!" he roared.

Emmy grinned.

"Wakey wakey, sleepy head!" Emmy beamed.

Luke sighed, sitting up. "You didn't have to do that you know. O was getting up..."

"Yeah, sure you were," Emmy smiled, ruffling his hair. "Your breakfast is ready. Come on!"

Emmy left the room. She went into Flora's room, where she and Aurora were still looking in the mirror. Emmy smiled.

"Are you done yet? It is only school, you know, not a fashion parade."

"I really don't like this uniform," Flora complained. "It's a horrible colour."

"Well, you won't be the only person wearing it, you know," Emmy smiled. "There will be about seven hundred other students wearing the same thing as you. Don't worry about standing out, you'll look exactly the same as everyone else. You'll blend perfectly."

"I guess so," Flora sighed.

Emmy smiled at her. "I didn't like the uniform either when I went there. The jumpers are so itchy."

"Yeah," Flora agreed.

"What do the colours mean?" Aurora asked.

"Hmm?" Emmy said.

"The colours. The red and green and grey and white and black. What do they stand for? Why must we wear these colours in particular?"

"You know, that's a good question," Emmy smiled. "You should ask one of your teachers when you get there."

"We will," Flora smiled.

"Well, you have to get there first, and I'm not going to let you go on an empty stomach," Emmy said. "Come on, let's go and get some breakfast."

* * *

"I see you're all finally up," Brenda said, putting three plates on the table. She checked her watch. "I wonder where Antonio is with the boys. They're coming for breakfast, they should be here by now."

Right on cue, there was a knock on the front door.

Brenda smiled. "There we are," she said.

Emmy made for the door. "I'll get it," she said. She went down the hall and answered the door.

There was Antonio and the two boys, who were dressed smartly I their uniforms.

"Aw, don't you two look so sweet in your new uniforms!" Emmy teased.

"Shut up, Emmy."

Emmy grinned and ruffled Xavier's hair. He pushed back, swearing under his breath. Emmy stepped aside and smiled.

"Come in, you two, I'll make you some breakfast. Are you staying Tony?"

"No, I'm on watch outside St. Mary's this morning with Carla," Antonio replied. "She's already there and waiting for me, so I'd better go."

"Okay. See you!" Emmy smiled.

"Oh, by the way, I need you to do me a favour Emz."

"Oh? What?"

"Carla's sister Tori is coming this evening by plane at eight o'clock, and I said I'd pick her up, but I forgot that I swapped shifts with Randall so that he could take Angela out, so I can't do it. Will you go and get her for me?"

"Of course!" Emmy beamed. "Happy to help."

"Thanks Emz. I owe you one." Antonio smiled. "I'll see you guys later then. Thanks again Emmy." He turned and walked away.

Emmy closed the door and went back to the kitchen with the boys. "What would you two like to eat?"

"Anything, I'm starving," Xavier replied.

"What about you Ali?" Emmy asked.

Aldaz didn't reply. He was staring at Aurora.

"Ali?" Emmy waved her hand in front of his face. Aldaz blinked.

"Are you hungry sweetheart?" Emmy asked gently.

Aldaz nodded.

"What would you like?"

Aldaz shrugged.

Emmy smiled. "Bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea and toast." She went to the hob and turned it back on.

Aldaz sat down beside Aurora. She looked up and smiled. "Hello," she said.

Aldaz went pink. "Hi."

"What is your name?" Aurora asked curiously.

"Aldaz," he replied.

"And I'm Xavier!" Xavier exclaimed, holding out his hand for Aurora to shake.

"Er..." Aurora looked confused.

"You shake it! Like this." Xavier took Aurora's hand and shook it. Aurora smiled.

"Are you all excited about your first day at school?" Brenda asked.

"No," the all said in unison. Brenda smiled.

"Well, being so negative won't help. Smile will you!"

"Yeah!" Emmy said, grinning. "so, you have to go to school it's not the end of the world!"

"I only came along because I thought that I would be getting out of school," Xavier sulked.

"Yeah, and I only work for a living to get the money, and yet I still end up losing half of it to taxes," Emmy pointed out. "Life isn't fair Xavi. You just have to grin and bear it." She placed two plates of food on the table. "Eat up. You have a long day ahead."

"Thank you," Aldaz smiled at her.

Emmy smiled back and ruffled his hair. "You're welcome." She returned to the pan and threw in some more bacon. Bronev entered as she did this.

Good morning," he said, sitting down next to Xavier.

"Hey, Leon, can I ask you a question?" Xavier asked.

Bronev smiled. "You just did."

"Well, can I ask another?"

"You just did."

Xavier smiled. "How old were you when you left school?"

"Ten."

Xavier turned to Emmy and grinned. "There you go, Emmy. I don't have to go to school at all."

"Yes you do, by law," Bronev said. "In this country, you have to go to school until you're sixteen at least. How old are you boy?"

"Fifteen," Xavier replied.

"Well, just one more year to go and you're as free as a bird," Bronev smiled.

"But you—"

"They were different times, my boy. Back then you could do just about anything as a child. I hated school, the writing, the reading, all that stuff, so I left and got a job when I was ten. But I was only able to do that because at that time in London, there were jobs and money to be made everywhere. But now, even the most qualified person can struggle to get a job. And if you skip school, all you get is grief. It would be easier if you just went to school and kept your mouth shut about it. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's the way the world is nowadays."

Xavier nodded and sighed. "I understand."

"So you'll go to school and stop complaining?" Emmy smiled.

"I'll go to school," Xavier said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Emmy smiled as she placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Bronev. Bronev thanked her and kissed her on the cheek.

"You all have it very easy in school," Bronev continued, cutting up his bacon. "But by the time you make it into the working world, you'll wish you were back in school. When you're working, you don't have a teacher babying you around, but you'll have a boss in your ear all the time, telling you to do things, sometimes things you'd rather not do. You'll see."

"Yeah," Xavier said, pushing his empty plate away from him. He checked his watch. "Half eight. C'mon, we'd better go; we have books to get and we have to figure out where we're going."

Xavier got up and the others followed suit. Aldaz went over to Emmy. He hugged her back and smiled.

"Bye, Emmy. Thank you for breakfast."

Emmy beamed, turning around and hugging him back. "Bye Ali!" she said, ruffling his hair again.

The children left and Emmy sat down, sighing. Bronev smiled at her.

"So," he said slyly. "How was the big date last night?"

"Fine," Emmy replied.

"And you had a good time?"

"Yes, I did," Emmy smiled.

"And he's taking you out again sometime, yes?"

"I hope so," Emmy said.

Bronev smiled. "good." He returned to his breakfast.

The professor entered, returning from his morning stroll. "Has Flora gone already?" he asked.

"Yes, she has," Emmy replied.

"How was she?"

"A bit nervous," Brenda said. "You know the way kids are when starting a new school. She'll be fine."

"Yes." the professor sat down next to Emmy, who smiled at him. The professor smiled back.

"I have to go to watch in the town centre. I'll see you all later. Oh, and Professor, would it be alright if I borrowed your car at seven thirty? Carla's sister is coming to join up and neither of Carla or Antonio are able to collect her."

"Oh, that's fine Emmy," the professor said. "Come and find me when you're ready. I'll either be here or at my post at the C.C. this evening."

"Okay. Thank you. Bye." She leaned over and kissed the professor's lips briefly before leaving.

Bronev sat back. And smiled at the professor. "I see that you have an infatuation with my niece, correct?"

"Yes," the professor replied. "I have grown rather fond of her."

Bronev leaned forward and murmured quietly, "And you intend to look after her?"

"Yes. I would never hurt her. I intend to remain loyal to Emmy, if that is what you're suggesting," the professor said.

"Because if I find that you have been mistreating my niece in any way, I will hunt you don and kill you," Bronev warned quietly so that Brenda, who was at the sink, would not hear him. "Am I clear?"

"Crystal," the professor replied.

"Good."

* * *

Aurora was confused. There were so many people and so many corridors. She didn't know where to turn.

"This way," Luke said, taking Aurora's hand and leading her down the corridor. The others followed. Luke took them into an office, where a teacher who Flora recognised to be the teacher who "kidnapped" her.

"Are these more resistance children?" she asked.

"Yes, miss. My mum and dad ave you their files yesterday, didn't they?"

"Yes. I have all the paperwork sorted out, so they can go to class immediately."

"And where will they be going?" Luke asked.

"I need to sort that out yet, but if you could arrange for them to be in the assembly area when the bell goes—"

"Perfect," Luke said. "Thanks miss."

"Oh, and Luke, if you could take care of these as well, that would be great." Goretti gestured to the group of boys who were sat around her desk.

"Okay," Luke agreed.

"Alright, if you could all follow Luke to the assembly area!" she called to them.

The four of them got up and followed Luke out the door.

"C'mon, let's get a table," Luke said firmly, and the group headed for the assembly area.

The sat down at the remaining free table.

"What's your name?" Xavier asked a tall dark boy in an orange jacket.

Keith," he replied. "That's Daffyd," he said, pointing to a tall pale-skinned boy with black curly hair and glasses, "that's Lawren," he said, pointing to a short black guy with dreadlocks, "And that's Leon," he said, pointing to a taller black guy with short black hair and a white sweater on over his uniform. "What about you?"

"I'm Xavier," Xavier replied. "And this is Luke, Flora, Aurora, Jai- or Sinead, depending on what mood she's in, and my little brother, Aldaz."

Leon looked around at the assembly area. "This place looks like a shit-hole to me," he said.

"Agreed," Lawren said. "

"It's not too bad, once you get used to it," Luke said encouragingly.

"If you say so," Lawren shrugged.

"How long is it until class starts, Luke?" Flora asked.

"About fifteen minutes," Luke replied, checking his watch.

"Screw this, I'm playing guitar," Daffyd said, opening his guitar hard case and picking it up.

"Hey a guitar, cool!" Xavier exclaimed. "let Ali lay after you, he's awesome!"

"That's cool with me," Daffyd smiled, playing around with the tuning and strumming the strings randomly. He cleared his throat and began to pluck the strings in a melody. He played an intro to Stairway to Heaven and began to sing.

"_There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold  
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.  
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed  
With a word she can get what she came for.  
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."_

"That's awesome," Xavier commented.

"Thanks man," Daffyd grinned, still playing the tune while he spoke. "Do you play?"

"Yeah, three years," Xavier replied. "But Aldaz has been playing for nine or ten years. He's awesome."

"Really? Awesome! Let's hear you!" Daffyd stopped playing and handed it to Aldaz.

Aldaz took it and stared at it. "What do you want me to play?"

"Anything," Flora encouraged.

Aldaz looked at Aurora, who was smiling. He smiled back and started into a fast version of Thunderstruck ACDC. Daffyd nodded, impressed. The others smiled, watching intently. Aldaz's fingers flew over the fret board as he played. He didn't even need to look at what he was playing; he knew where every note was by now. He smiled as he finished.

The song ended to thunderous applause. Aldaz jumped, unaware that so many people had been listening to him play. He went red. He handed the guitar back to Daffyd, who grinned at him.

"Now, that was awesome," Daffyd praised him.

"I did tell you," Xavier grinned.

The bell rang as Daffyd closed the case of his guitar. The group watched as the rest of the students ran off to their classes. Goretti ran over to the group.

"Ah, there you all are. Which one of you is Aurora?"

Aurora stepped forward.

"Okay. I don't have any papers on you or anything, I've only just realized that now. What's your surname?"

"My what?" she asked.

"Surname."

"My name is Aurora."

"Yes, but what is your last name?"

"This was the only name I was given," Aurora said.

"Yes, but—"

"Oh, Aurora doesn't have a last name. She's Azran. She comes from a different time, where they didn't have surnames."

Goretti frowned. "What?"

"She was brought back with Jai to aid the resistance."

"Ah... okay." She scribbled something down on her clipboard. "right. You're all assigned to the following classes: Ahora—"

"Aurora," Luke corrected.

"—right—, Flora Reinhold and Aldaz Van De Garde will go with Luke Triton to class 1C, room 16, Jai will have to go to Sinead's normal 5A2 class in..." she checked her list, "room 37, and the rest of you can go to Miss Lynch's 5A4 class in room 38. Off you go." And she walked away.

"I'll take you," Luke offered. "This way."

The group followed Luke down another corridor and to room 38. He knocked on the door and opened it. "Sorry, miss. I have some new students here for you." Luke stepped aside and gestured for the boys to go inside. "Have fun," he smiled. Xavier, Keith, Lawren, Leon and Daffyd all went inside. Luke walked a little further down the corridor and stopped outside room 37. He knocked and opened the door. "Sorry, sir, I have Jai here for you." He stepped aside and Jai entered. Luke doubled back down the corridor and crossed the assembly area and went into a new corridor down the end near the entrance and took a left.

"How do you know your way around, Luke?" Aurora asked. "This place is like a maze."

Luke smiled. "You'll get used to it soon. It's not half as big as it appears to be the first time." He stopped outside room 16 and entered.

Ann gave Luke a funny look. "Why are you late?" she snapped.

"Sorry, miss, I had to show the resistance students where to go. We have some here."

"Oh! I'm sorry Luke. Sit down."

Luke sat at the back and Aldaz sat next to him. Flora and Aurora stood in the middle of the classroom awkwardly, looking around.

"There are two lovely seats right here up the front girls," Ann smiled.

Flora smiled back, taking Aurora's hand and leading her to her seat. Ann smiled and sat at her desk. She opened her register. She looked at Aldaz. "You . new boy down the back. What's your name?"

"Aldaz Van De Garde," Aldaz replied.

Ann smiled. "can you say that a bit slower, please?"

"Al-daz," Aldaz said slowly.

"Can you spell that?"

"A-L-D-A-Z."

"And your surname?"

"V-A-N D-E G-A-R-D-E."

"Thank you." Ann turned to Flora. "And you?"

"Flora Reinhold. R-E-I-N-H-O-L-D."

"Thank you." Ann scribbled this down and turned to Aurora. "And you?"

"My name is Aurora."

"Ahora?"

"Aurora."

"Can you spell that for me?"

"Um... no."

All the students in the class laughed. Ann smiled. "Stop messing, now."

"Oh!" Flora said. "Miss, Aurora isn't from this time, so she can't read or write."

"What! Really?" Ann asked, shocked. "Oh, right, Emmy told me that, didn't she? Luke? Do you know how to spell her name?"

"A-U-R-O-R-A."

"Oh, Au_ro_ra, not A_ho_ra. Right. What's your surname?" Ann asked her.

"Uh... I do not have one."

"Oh. Okay." Ann frowned. "Where are you from?"

Aurora paused. "I am from... the Azran."

"Where is that?"

"The Azran is a civilisation, not a place," Aurora explained. "Our world was not divided into continents, so I cannot narrow it down any farther than to say that I am from earth."

"Oh. Okay." Ann looked very confused. "So what time period are you from?"

"I am 1.2 million years old," Aurora replied. "My body was put into a form of cryogenic stasis so that it could be preserved."

"So you're not as young as you look?" Ann smiled.

Aurora smiled back. "No."

* * *

Jai entered the classroom to find that everyone was staring at her. She was confused. "Why... are you all staring at me? I have done nothing wrong."

Everyone laughed. The teacher grinned at her.

"You can sit in Sinead's normal seat next to Jessica." He pointed to an empty seat in the top corner.

Jai sat down.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Jai. What's your name?"

Everyone laughed again.

The teacher grinned again. "I'm Jason Jakeway. You can call me Jason, but I would prefer it if you called me Mr. Jakeway."

"Hello Jason," Jai said.

Everyone laughed again and Jakeway smiled.

"You know, you're the first student to do that."

"But you said I could!" Jai protested.

Everyone laughed harder.

"Why are you laughing? I am serious."

But they just kept laughing. Jai sighed. "Humans are so stupid," she thought resentfully.

* * *

At lunch, the group met up at the same table as before.

"How were your classes, Xavier?" Flora asked.

"Boring. We had no books so we just sat there and played tic-tac-toe," he replied. "You ?"

"Some of the kids were being really mean to Aurora because she can't read. Aldaz got really angry."

Aldaz nodded. "They had no right to do that."

"What about you, Jai?" Aurora asked. "How was your class?"

"Everyone kept laughing at me whenever I talked," Jai said. "I just sat there and said nothing in the end."

Aurora sighed. "I don't like school."

Luke smiled. "No one does."

"I need to play a song to cheer everyone up," Daffyd decided, taking out his guitar. "Any requests?"

"Play stairway to heaven again," Xavier said. "I like that song."

"Cool." Daffyd plucked the melody and began to sing.

"_There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold  
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.  
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed  
With a word she can get what she came for.  
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."_

* * *

How was school?" Brenda asked Flora as soon as she got in the door.

Flora sighed. "Everyone was bullying Aurora because she can't read. They don't believe that she's from another civilisation."

"Don't mind them, Aurora. You have friends here already, who are willing to look out for you and protect you no matter what." Brenda put an arm around Aurora, who smiled.

"Thank you Brenda. I will always remember that." Aurora beamed and walked into the kitchen.

Flora was still frowning. Brenda turned to her.

"Don't worry about Aurora. She'll be fine. You just have to look out for her and she'll be okay."

Flora nodded. "She was worried about not fitting in at school."

"But she fits in with your group, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Flora said.

"Then that's all she needs. A good friend can do wonders. You'll see." Brenda smiled and hugged Flora too.

Flora smiled and hugged back. "Yeah," she said. "Aurora and Jai will be okay. They have us to look out for them. That's what friends are for."


	21. The Air Idol

Chapter 20 – The Air Idol

TIME JUMP: 5 WEEKS

Things were fine, for a while at least.

The children had settled into school nicely. Aurora was learning how to read and write in English and was progressing nicely. The others were settling down and making new friends. Their school life was normal and happy.

The resistance continued to keep watch over all public places and the town centre, though nothing major had happened since before they had gotten the first artefact into their possession. They hadn't seen hide or hair of Vaughan. Yet.

As the days weeks and month had passed, the professor and Emmy were getting closer and closer to one another. The odd date turned into dinner every night together, and eventually they ended up spending all of their free time together. Whenever one of them was on watch, the other would go too, to keep the other company, as they didn't expect anything big to happen.

And nothing happened.

Vaughan's plan was going well.

He waited for his spy to report back to him, with news of the artefacts and their whereabouts. And news on Bronev's intentions. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently as he waited outside of the Beachwood estate for his informant.

And here she was. Young, beautiful and standing before him.

"Vaughan smiled widely. " What have you got for me?"

The girl smiled. "They will be heading out to get the next artefact shortly. Jai's arm is fully healed and she is ready and able to get the next one. What is your plan?"

"We continue to wait," Vaughan replied. "Until the resistance gets all of the artefacts. But I would appreciate being kept in the know of young Miss Altava's movements. I want to know everything about the girl. Where she sleeps, what she eats, who she speaks to, where she goes. Understood?"

The informant nodded. "Understood."

"And Bronev..." Vaughan's smile widened even further. "You, my friend have already sealed your own fate. Oh, yes. My revenge will be sweet."

* * *

"We will set off immediately," Jai said firmly.

"Are you sure you're in a fit enough state for this?" Brenda asked nervously. "The cast only came off yesterday. And your ligaments are still quite stiff."

"I will be fine," Jai insisted.

"I propose that we all help you to fight this next beast," the professor said.

"No," Jai said, shaking her head. "Never."

"We don't have to do the killing, we can just distract it so that you can have an easier time getting to it," Emmy said. "C'mon, it's taken the last five weeks for you to recover. Maybe this way you might get out with fewer injuries."

"No."

"But Jai—" the professor began.

"I have spoken. I will go alone if I must. I only need one other person there to drive me to and from our next destination. It is pointless there being anyone else there. Layton will go with me, the rest stay and take watch. Keep a close eye on the first artefact, Emmy. I have a feeling that Vaughan is in the vicinity and he's after it."

"I'm going with you," Emmy said firmly.

"Fine," Jai said, handing the artefact to Bronev. "Keep it safe."

Bronev nodded. "Right you are."

"Emmy," the Professor said. "I really don't think you should go. You've been through enough."

"If you go, I go too," Emmy said firmly.

"But –"

"I'll be fine. I promise you," Emmy said. She reached over and took his hand.

The professor took it and smiled. "I know, but I can't help but worry." He kissed her hand.

"Neither of you will be going anywhere near the idol. I will do the fighting, you will drive me there. Understood?"

"No. We will distract it and you will finish it. Understood?"

"Jai sighed. " Do you want to put your lives in danger?"

"If it means stopping Vaughan and saving the lives of others, then yes, that is exactly what I want," Emmy replied.

"Well, if you're distracting it, then the larger the group, the better," Bronev pointed out. "I think I should go as well, along with a few of the resistance's most experienced fighters. We will need an adequate distraction for this beast

"Jai sighed again. " Fine. Bit this idol, or monster as you call it, will not be the same as the last one. Prepare yourself for the worst."

"Of course," the professor replied. "I'm glad we can help you."

Jai took the artefact from Bronev and handed it to Brenda. "Keep it safe," she said.

Brenda nodded, looking anxious.

"Right," Jai replied, grabbing her bow. "Let's be off."

* * *

After saying their goodbyes and being told numerous times to be careful, they got into the car and set off. Jai held the knife out the window, as she did the previous time, and the beam of light that emitted from it pointed off due south east. Layton started the ignition and the group set off. After much consideration, they had decided to take Emmy, Layton, Bronev, Vinnie, Carla and Antonio, as they were experienced fighters and well trained in athletics. Bronev sat in the passenger seat while Carla, Antonio, Emmy Vinnie and Jai were all squashed in the back seat. Emmy was sat at the back between Carla and Vinnie, much to her dismay. Vinnie was smiling sweetly at Emmy, who was doing her best to ignore him.

"So," Vinnie grinned. "I heard about the new boyfriend." He smiled at the professor and turned back to Emmy. "I really didn't think he was your type. You always went for the bad boy lean mean fighting machine over the academic type. What's changed?"

Emmy scowled and didn't reply.

"The lean mean fighting machine?" Carla scoffed. "Who is that then? You?" she began to laugh. "In your dreams, Vin."

Vinnie ignored Carla and continued to smile at Emmy.

Emmy turned to Vinnie and asked. "So how is Stacey these days?"

Carla's mouth quirked as Vinnie glared. "Honestly, Emmy, if I wasn't drunk that night, we would still be together. I swear."

"You had your chance and you blew it," Bronev called from the passenger seat. "Now leave Emmeline alone."

Emmy smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Leon," she said gratefully.

Vinnie sighed and fell silent.

"So where exactly are we going?" Carla asked.

"Wherever the sword points us," Jai replied. "Turn left here."

The professor nodded and turned left.

"We're headed for Mallow, by the looks of it," Bronev said. "These idols reside in the remote places, don't they?"

"Not necessarily," Jai said. "The water idol takes the form of the sea, or a river. And rivers are the bridging points where towns occur, are they not?"

"True," Bronev replied. "But would the people in the town not notice the water idol in their midst? After all, they are living in the nearby vicinity of the thing."

"The idols remain dormant until the light of the sword is shone upon them," Jai replied.

"So, they're asleep?" Emmy asked.

"Precisely. They take the shape of their element until they are awoken. Then they take the shape of the beast we will see," Jai said.

"Like the mountain?" the professor asked. "The beast took the shape of a mountain, but when you shone the light onto it, it came to life."

"Exactly. Turn right here."

The professor turned right and he entered a large city. It began to rain and the wind began to pick up its pace.

Emmy sighed. "Typical miserable Irish weather," she said.

The professor smiled. "Similar to the typical British weather, is it?"

"Similar, except it rains more here," Emmy replied with a smile.

The professor took in his surroundings. He saw the mountains up ahead. He looked back to see that the beam of light which was emitting from the sword was pointing in the very direction of those mountains.

"Are we headed for those mountains, Jai?" he asked.

"The vicinity of them, yes," Jai replied. "Sinead has given me a bit of information about the area. I believe we are headed for the village of Meelin. It lies to the centre of the Galtee Mountains and is the highest village in all of Ireland, also making it the windiest. I believe we are about to encounter the air idol."

"The air idol?" Bronev asked.

"Yes. This idol is made up of the strongest air particles, the wind. These particles band together to create the wind monster which protects the artefact's location. I believe that the artefact is hidden in an underground chamber, and when we find the monster, we'll find the artefact. But the monster will do everything it can to protect the artefact. I don't think a petty distraction will cut it this time. With the earth idol, maybe, as the artefact was hidden inside it, but with this one, the artefact is hidden in the area, so this idol will not be so easy to distract. You will see when we get there."

"Right," Bronev said. "So it will be in a gaseous form?"

"It is able to change its state of matter at will," Jai said. "It changes from solid to gas every so often."

"Then how will you be able to get it?" Emmy asked. "If it keeps changing from solid to gas, it will make it damn near impossible to attack."

"You will all have to distract it while someone with a good aim shoots it with my bow," Jai said. "I believe it will stay in the state of matter it is in, as it will not have enough power after being injured to change to another state of matter. While it is stuck in a solid state, I will make my attack on its weak point."

"So it will take all of us to do it?" Vinnie asked.

"One person could do it, but it would be very difficult," Jai explained. "This is a very dangerous mission. If anyone has any doubts, they should leave now."

No one said anything after this statement. Jai sighed.

"If you are all intent on staying, then we had better proceed."

The car stopped at a set of traffic lights. Jai sighed again.

"I think that going by car will take far too long. There appears to be some sort of obstruction ahead."

The professor stuck his head put the window and looked. He came back in, sighing. "Road works," he said. "They could take hours. We should find a different route."

"I think we should park up and walk," Jai said.

"I'll stay here in the car, where it's safe— I mean to watch it, and you guys can go ahead," Vinnie suggested.

"Right. Come," Jai said, getting out of the car.

The others followed suit. Emmy and Carla looked at Vinnie, disgusted.

"Chicken shit," Carla said under her breath.

"Have a nice walk," Vinnie grinned. Emmy gave him a filthy look and slammed the door shut. The others walked on as Vinnie moved to the driver's seat and sat back, relaxed. "That's better," he sighed.

* * *

The group walked on and on, through the town and well into the countryside. They all had a good time, walking, talking and admiring the scenery, but after a few hours of non-stop walking, the novelty soon wore off.

"Can we stop a minute?" Carla croaked.

Jai squinted ahead of her. "There is a shop about six hundred yards from here. We can all eat and rest there. I am sorry, but we cannot afford to stop or waste any time today."

"Okay," Carla gasped.

Antonio reached into his rucksack and pulled out a one litre bottle of water. He handed it to Carla. "Drink this."

"Thanks, babe." She gulped some water down and smiled at Antonio.

Antonio smiled back and put an arm around his wife's shoulders.

They kept on walking until they reached the said shop. Everyone bought sausage rolls and water. Except for Jai. She stood outside and waited for the others to finish. "Humans are very weak creatures," she thought. She felt her body growing tired, as everyone else did, but she chose to ignore it. Just as she did with her own body many millennia ago. She never stopped to rest or eat when on a journey; she would just keep going until she got there. She may have picked a leaf or two on the journey there if she felt on the verge of collapse, but that was the extent of her rest on a journey.

She sighed. "I do wish they would hurry up," she thought irritably. "We don't have all day."

Just as she thought this, the others came out of the shop. They seemed to have more energy and were livelier than before.

"Come," she called. "We must keep going. Quickly." And she walked on.

The others followed. Jai held up the sword and the beam headed off up the hill. She smiled; she could see where the beam ended and their desired destination. She turned to the others.

"Just up this hill. About a half a mile. Brace yourselves."

Carla gulped. She felt nervous. She turned to the professor.

"Have you got a plan?" she asked him.

The professor frowned. "Jai? Is there anything that the creature likes or dislikes? Something that we could distract it with?"

"Hmm..." Jai said, deep in thought. "I believe there is."

"Yes?" the professor asked.

"Sound. The air idol has a strange reaction to sound. It is attracted to it."

"So if we just make some noise, it should come towards us?" Emmy asked.

"I think you're right, Emmy," the professor smiled.

"We'll make the noise, and you get ready to shoot it, Emmy. Then Jai will make her attack," Carla suggested.

"And you must shoot it when it is solid, or I will not be able to get to it," Jai added.

"Right," Emmy said uncertainly.

The professor looked at her and smiled. "Perhaps I should do the shooting."

"Yeah," Emmy laughed. "I'd only miss."

The professor laughed as well. "It's not that, Emmy, I just didn't want to pile all the responsibility on you."

"I know," Emmy smiled, putting an arm around him.

"There," Jai said, halting them about fifty yards from a large farmhouse. The farmhouse looked old and in disarray. The galvanised roof was hanging off of it and the doors had been blown in. It looked deserted.

"Wind damage," Jai said. "We're here."

She raised the sword and the beam hit the field in the centre. A gush of wind came from that direction.

"It's waking up," Jai warned. "Get back, everyone."

They did as they were told and backed up to the wall of the farmhouse. Jai stepped forward.

The wind got stronger and stronger with every step Jai made towards the wind. The others were blown against the wall, but Jai managed to keep upright as she advanced on the wind.

The wind twisted into a tornado-like form, sending out stronger gusts. It twisted faster and faster, blowing everything away from it. Jai was nearly blown backwards and she found it harder and harder to walk in the conditions.

The others were trying to talk to one another, but as loud as they yelled, they could not hear one another over the racket of the wind.

The strong winds twisted and twisted until they formed a sphere like shape. Arms and legs began to protrude from the shape. It was becoming solid.

The winds began to die down and the others could just about hear each other again. Jai turned and waved to the professor. "NOW!" she screamed.

The professor stepped away from the wall and was nearly blown backwards from the force of the winds, which were still very strong. Emmy darted forward to help, as did Bronev and Antonio, and together they held the professor steady and he readied his weapon. They all held the bow steady and the professor readied an arrow. "I really can't see how this is going to work," the professor thought to himself. "After all, the wind is blowing in the wrong direction."

But that suddenly changed. The wind's direction had changed and everything was being blown towards the idol. The professor let go of the arrow and it flew off in the direction of the idol. It hit the idol square in the chest and the wind stopped.

Jai ran as fast as she could and jumped up on the idol's back. She searched for the weak point. She saw it, right on its head. She stabbed with all her might. A blinding light emitted from it. "It's working," Jai smiled. Then her smiled faded.

She was blown off and high into the air. The idol blew her fast across the field and over the farmhouse. The other's screams were inaudible over the sound of the wind.

Jai hit the roof hard and rolled off. She hung onto the edge on the galvanised roofing as she dangled over the edge of the roof. She could feel the galvaniser coming off of the roof as she hung on tight. "Uh oh," she thought.

She looked down to see the others crowding around underneath her.

"CATCH ME!" she screamed as she let go of the galvaniser and dropped to the ground.

The others gathered round underneath her and they all caught her before she hit the ground.

They put her down. "Thanks. Phew!" she exclaimed, grinning at the idol. "Who's up for round two?"

Everyone laughed.

The idol was turning back into wind and was turning away.

"QUICK! THE DISTRACTION! MAKE SOME NOISE!" Jai bellowed. "PROFESSOR, READY YOUR NEXT SHOT, I'LL GET INTO POSITION!" and she ran off towards the idol again.

The others went back to the wall where they were earlier, and held Layton steady as he readied another arrow.

"READY? ON THREE, EVERYONE SCREAM OUT AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!" Layton yelled. "ONE... TWO... THREE!"

And they all screamed. They screamed out as loudly as they could, at the very top of their lungs.

"Odd," Emmy thought as she cried out loudly. "I find this so therapeutic." She laughed to herself as she screamed.

Their efforts had not been in vain. The idol, by some miracle of sorts, heard their screams and had turned towards them. It began to twist as it approached them, as it did earlier, and began to turn solid. As its arms and legs began to appear again, Layton released the arrow.

The arrow was drawn towards the idol as the wind changed once more. It hit the idol in the stomach, or where it's stomach was supposed to be, and Jai ran again.

She jumped on its back once more and stabbed it, in the exact same place as before. And everything stopped.

The noise had stopped, and Jai's mind was empty, almost blissfully blank.

But a new nose soon emerged.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

Jai leaped off of the idol's back and ran to greet the others, glad that she wasn't too hurt this time. The idol collapsed and it's solid form soon disappeared.

"Jai!" the professor called as she reached them. "I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece. Are you hurt?"

"No." Jai looked around. She held up the sword once more, and it's beam pointed off to where the idol had disappeared. "Follow me."

The group went over to the area that the idol had disappeared.

"This area is just dirt," Emmy said, frowning. "But the rest of it is grass. Why is that?"

Jai didn't answer. She brushed the dirt off, revealing a stone surface with a slit in it. She placed the sword into the slit. It fitted perfectly. The sword glowed as soon as it entered.

"Stand back," Jai order, retreating from the stone area. The other's followed suit.

The ground opened up to reveal a set of stone steps. Bronev's eyes widened at this.

"WH-what? How did you know—?"

But Jai had already begun to descend the flight of stairs ahead of them. They all ran after her.

The stairs led to an underground chamber. It was dimly lit by a torch or two and in the middle of the room was a stand with an artefact on it.

"Here it is," Jai smiled, reaching out and taking the artefact.

"This chamber definitely looks Azran to me." Bronev said, fascinated.

"We must leave. Now." Jai headed for the staircase once more. The others followed.

* * *

When they reached the field, Jai removed the sword from its slot and the ground closed up once more. Jai covered the stone surface with dirt once more and it looked like it had never been touched. Jai turned to the others. "This place must never be opened by any of you," Jai said slowly, "Do you understand?"

They all nodded.

"Good," Jai said.

They heard a car pull up at the farmhouse and they all turned. Vinnie was there in the car, grinning. He stepped out and they ran over to greet him.

Vinnie grinned at them all. "You all look exhausted." he smiled. "Wanna ride?"

They all got into the car without word. Vinnie smiled to himself and got back into the driver's seat.

"Well, how was it? Did you get it?" Celeste asked Bronev as soon as he got in the door of the Triton's place.

"Yes."

"Good. Two down, two to go."

"Bronev smiled. " Indeed."

* * *

The professor was sat down at the kitchen table, studying the artefacts carefully. There was a different symbol on each of the six sides if the cube-shaped artefact. The professor frowned, trying to decipher them. Emmy sat down next to the professor and looked at the artefact over his shoulder.

"What do you think it means?" Emmy asked.

"It is some sort of warning," the professor replied, still frowning. "It is warning us against something. I think it is only part of the message."

"So you think it says "Beware"?" Bronev asked.

"Yes," the professor replied.

"It is warning you against using the Grounds of Rebirth," Jai said. "All of the artefacts are carrying a message in its inscription."

"So, if the other one said "rebirth," then the artefacts are saying "beware rebirth"?" Celeste asked. "Because the Grounds of Rebirth are dangerous. Like you said."

"Yes," Jai said. "They must never be used, or the darkness souls may be brought to this world."

"But you said that you could not prevent it," the professor said.

"No. I cannot prevent the darkness souls from coming here, but we can prevent a lot of the damage they can do. You will see when the time comes."

"What sort of damage?" Emmy asked.

"All sorts," Jai replied. "I cannot say; it is difficult to describe. But I'm sure you will see it for yourself."

"There are different symbols on each side of each artefact, but they all translate to roughly the same thing," the professor pointed out. "Why is this?"

"I cannot say, not until the time is right," Jai said. "But I am sure that you can figure it out for yourself in time. I will leave it to you to figure it out." Jai smiled. "It will be educational for you."


	22. Jai's Nightmare

Chapter 21 – Jai's Nightmare

That night, Jai tossed and turned in her sleep. Her mind as filled with horrific images, her memories. She saw the faces of her loved ones, her parents, her mate, and her children. She remembered how she lost them.

_The raft sailed gently down the river. The Khan were sitting back, their hearts filled with joy as they left their old home for a new life elsewhere. This was a common occurrence with the khan. Food and resources were gone from their old home, so it was time to start afresh. The people of the Khan always enjoyed their experiences of moving on, as they sailed down the river and reflected on the happy memories they shared in their new lives._

_Jai stood at the head of their large raft, watching as her children and mate looked happily at the scenery they passed on their way to their new life. She smiled. She loved her life, the life she had made for herself with her family. She watched as her father held her mother in his arms, stroking her long dark hair._

_Jai began to take in the surrounding area, the trees and flowers in all their captivating beauty. But it was what was lurking behind those trees that changed everything. That ruined her life and ended those of the people of the khan._

_The enemy tribe, the Hilden. They emerged slowly from the trees, arrows and spears at the ready. They wanted what was theirs; the idol of rebirth. The sword that dangled limply from a rope around Jai's neck._

_Jai screamed out to her people and they acted fast. They grabbed the oars and began to row the raft to safety. But it was already too late. _

_The first arrow his Jai's mate, square in the chest, right through his heart. He was dead before he even realised what had happened._

_Jai ran forward and tried to protect the children, her children. But arrows flew overhead, and her parents were eventually killed. _

_Jai dropped to her knees, traumatised by what was happening. But there was nothing she could do. _

_The Hilden entered the raft from a boat. They stepped over the dead bodies of the Khan and approached Jai. They demanded that she gave over the idol of rebirth. But she refused. The gods had told her to keep the idol away from the Hilden, and she did. But here they were, trying to reclaim it, and Jai knew that she had to stop them. _

_She acted fast._

_She jumped into the river and swam to safety. She ducked under the surface of the water as arrows went flying at her. She swam far, away from the chaotic scene. But in this dream, she choked out tears, slipping below the surface of the water, sinking like a rock, lower, lower, lower..._

Jai awoke with a start, flying up into a sitting position, gasping. She saw Aurora stir in her sleep and tried to relax her breathing, so as not to wake her, or Flora. She sighed, lying back down.

She hated the recurring nightmares, about the demise of her tribe and family and how she knew of and experienced first-hand the true horrors of the Grounds of Rebirth.

She wanted it all to stop.

Every night, Jai would awake from a nightmare, her tortured mind forcing her to relive every single one of the worst moments of her life, especially the ones concerning the Grounds of Rebirth. And every time, Jai would feel like crying out, or screaming. But she never did. She had to stay strong, for the other's sake. She had to complete her mission.

"This is the last time," she thought. "I am spoon-feeding this race. Every other time, the civilisation themselves would uncover the secrets of the Grounds of Rebirth, but this time I will hand it all to them so that they can hand it to the next civilisation, and the next, so that I will never have to do this again. After this encounter, the Grounds of Rebirth will be no more."


	23. Suspicious Activity

Chapter 22 – Suspicious Activity

It was twelve o'clock that afternoon and Desmond was waiting outside the estate with Raymond for his acquaintance, Andrea. He checked his watch again and sighed impatiently.

"She was supposed to be here half an hour ago. Where is she?"

"I'm not sure, master," Raymond replied. "Perhaps she was delayed in her inspection of the artefacts." Raymond looked around. "Well, you can ask her yourself, master. Here she is."

Desmond turned around to face her. He frowned as she smiled at him.

"Well? What did you find out about the artefact?"

"It is of similar design to the other one, with the same style of symbol on it. The artefacts' symbols state for us to "beware rebirth." It's them, alright."

Desmond smiled. "The the ones that Jai has gotten hold f are indeed authentic. This is excellent."

"What is your plan?" Andrea asked. "Do we tell Vaughan?"

"He already knows, from another spy in this sector. She told him yesterday."

"Then what's our plan?"

"I say we go along with what Vaughan wants, for the time being, anyway. But when they have all of the artefacts, and Vaughan orders us to steal them, we will, and we'll leave, returning only when we have found the location to the grounds themselves."

"So they are here, then?" Andrea asked.

"Yes. I am almost certain of that," Desmond replied. "But I haven't pinpointed an exact location. I am certain, though that the artefacts hold the key to finding its location. It is only a matter of waiting for the other two artefacts to be found, and then our plan can be put into place." Desmond smiled. "The Grounds of Rebirth will be ours."

Two of Vaughan's spies in sector A1 of the resistance were deep in discussion in an alleyway at the back of the estate. They merely looked like two resistance members on watch to the passerby, but it certainly was a lot more than that.

"I really don't like this," one said, folding his arms. "If Carla finds out—"

"If Carla finds out, then we're both dead," the other, a girl, pointed out. "My father is forcing us into the position so that he can bring back his dead wife. My mother was just another woman who was used by him. We have to keep going along with it. Don't worry. We'll get Jorge back. Then you will be left out of this. Agreed?"

The guy sighed. "I hate going behind her back like this. If she ever finds out, we'll be over. Finished. And that's just what Eli wants, isn't it?"

"Carla won't leave you, I'm sure of it. If she knew your intentions, than she would forgive you. But I swear it won't come to that."

"What about you? Why are you in this?" he asked.

She smiled. "My father thinks I'm on his side. But he is so wrong. I'm only in this for revenge, revenge for my dear mother for what he did to her."

"For using her?"

"Exactly." She smiled wider. "Oh, he'll be sorry, alright. When I take away all that he's worked for. No one messes with me or my mother. No one."


	24. Ice cream

Chapter 23 – Ice cream

Bronev smiled as he looked on at Emmy and the professor walking together, arm in arm. It pleased him to see Emmy finally happy again, after all that she had been through with Vaughan. If anybody deserved to be happy, it was Emmy.

Bronev looked around the town some more and saw Celeste across the street. He waved to her, which she returned, crossing the road to come and greet him.

"How are you, Leon?" Celeste smiled as she approached him.

"Doing fine. As is Emmeline," he smiled back, pointing further up the high street, where Layton and Emmy were walking together.

Celeste smiled. "They look very good together."

"So long as he looks after her and makes her happy," Bronev added. He sighed. "I have a feeling that after all of this, I won't be around to see much of Emmeline anymore. I don't think she'll want to see me either, not after what I've done."

Celeste sighed. "I think she will want you around, Bronev. Despite all that you've done, you were the one who raised her and ensured that she got through the worst time of her life. She will always love you, no matter what. I think she will be very angry and upset at first – as expected – but she will come round, eventually. Everything will be fine."

"I have to tell her," Bronev said. "But ... I can't do that to her, not now. She has finally got her life back on track, she's happy, she's smiling..." he trailed off, looking at Emmy's happy figure in the distance. "I can't ruin all of that for her."

"Who says that you will be ruining all of that for her?" Celeste asked. "This would be a chance for Layton to prove his loyalty to her, to take care of her and put your mind as ease. And I think that it would be better if it came from you than from Vaughan, because he will have to cave in and tell her eventually."

"He isn't going near her," Bronev said firmly.

"You can't control that," Celeste pointed out. "You can't control any of what happens from this out. You heard Jai – she can't prevent the use of the Grounds of Rebirth. None of us can. And the resistance isn't going to use the grounds, as we promised Jai that we wouldn't, so who do you think is going to b the one to use it?"

"Vaughan," Bronev replied.

"Exactly. He is going to get hold of these artefacts, whether we like it or not, no matter what we do or how much we try to protect them. The amount of pain that Emmeline suffers when Vaughan uses the grounds is the only thing that you can control. You must tell her."

"I..." Bronev trailed off again as he saw Emmy and Layton approaching.

Bronev cleared his throat as Emmy and Layton arrived. He smiled at her. Emmy beamed back.

"Hi, Uncle Leon!" she said brightly. "Hello, doctor." She stepped forward and kissed her uncle on the cheek. Bronev smiled and hugged her.

"You're looking very happy this afternoon," Bronev commented, winking at Layton.

The professor smiled back. "We've just been out for lunch, celebrating the recovery if the second artefact." He beamed at Emmy as she let go of Bronev.

Emmy stepped back and put her arm around Layton again. He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. Emmy beamed again.

Bronev smiled. "It's good to see you happy," he said to Emmy. "You two have a good afternoon, you hear?"

Emmy nodded. "See you later."

She and the professor walked off down the town again. Bronev turned to Celeste again.

"See?" he hissed. "I can't spoil that for her. Look at her. She's happy."

Celeste sighed. "Look, Leon, it's not my decision, it's yours. Either you tell her yourself, or Vaughan will tell her eventually. Either way, she will find out. And we both know which person she'd rather hear it from, if at all."

Bronev nodded. "You're right. I will tell her, but not right now. Besides, I don't think we'll see hide or hair of Vaughan until we've secured all of the artefacts."

Celeste nodded in agreement. "Yes. There is still time yet."

* * *

Emmy and Layton were walking down the street, arm in arm, smiling. They had had the most wonderful afternoon together. Neither of them was on watch that day, so they decided to have fun together that afternoon. After lunch, Layton had followed Emmy around as she took pictures of the sights in town – the lodge, the schools, the roundabout in town – the simple things that only a photographer as keen as Emmy could appreciate. Layton had to smile when he saw how happy Emmy was that afternoon, doing what she loved to do best. There was no stopping Emmy – once something of interest had caught her eye, she simply had to go over and photograph it.

Once Emmy had had her fill of photographing the sights, there was still a quarter of the memory on her camera left, so she proceeded to take random photographs of the professor. Some of him going to the bin, some of him chatting to passersby, some of him bending down to tie his shoelaces (Emmy liked these in particular. She often stepped on the professor's shoelaces on purpose so that he would bend down and she could eye him up). The odd time, she would get a random passerby to take a picture of her and the professor, pictures of them hugging, pictures of them kissing. Emmy took lots of pictures of the professor, and she eventually let him take her camera and take pictures of her.

But now that the memory on her camera was full, Emmy and Layton were walking arm in arm down the street looking for a nice bench to sit down on. Emmy spotted one outside the ice cream parlour, and taking the professor's hand, she dragged him over to it.

Layton smiled, letting her lead him over to it. He pulled out his wallet and rooted through it for money, but Emmy grabbed it and put it back into his pocket.

"I'll pay," she insisted.

"No, Emmy, let me," the professor said firmly. "I insist. Please."

"Well, you paid for our last date. Actually, now that I think of it, you've paid for most of our dates. It's about time I paid for something."

"But I want to," the professor protested, smiling at her.

Emmy beamed back and their eyes met. "This is why I love you," she said softly. "You always think of others. A true gentleman..." she trailed off as she pulled him into a tighter hug. "That's what you are."

They kissed. They got many strange looks from passersby, but they were completely unaware of this. They were lost in their own world. It was only after the fifth passerby had told them to get a room when they broke apart.

"Hmph," Emmy said, disgusted. "You'd think they were never in love before."

The professor beamed at her. "In love..." he thought.

"C'mon, let's get some ice cream," Emmy said brightly, puling the professor along.

"I'm paying," he Professor insisted, grinning at Emmy.

"Fine," Emmy grinned back, planting a soft kiss on his cheek, "But I will make it up to you later."

The professor smiled. "You already have."

They entered the ice cream parlour and bought two large ninety-nines. They went to sit down on their desired bench.

But as they sat down, Layton's ice cream accidentally spilled onto Emmy's lap.

"Oh, my..." Layton looked at Emmy.

She was grinning. "No matter," she said, "we can just share. Here, have some." She pointed the cone to the professor.

He leaned forward to take a bite when Emmy accidentally (on purpose) splattered it into the professor's face. She laughed.

"Sorry, Professor, I didn't mean to get that much on you," she said as a few of the surrounding people began t laugh.

"Here, let me clean you up," Emmy grinned, licking some of the ice cream off of his nose. This made passersby laugh even more.

"Aw, they're such a cute couple," one passerby said, as her companion nodded.

The professor took a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to wipe his face and Emmy's lap.

Emmy grinned mischievously, taking a bite out of her ice cream. The professor saw his chance and pushed her arm up, covering Emmy's face in ice cream.

As more passersby and Emmy laughed, the professor said, "Okay! Let's stop now! Truce!"

Emmy took his handkerchief and wiped her face, grinning. "Okay. Truce."

The professor smiled. "You missed a bit," he said, leaning forward and licking a bit off of her lip.

Emmy threw the near-empty cone onto the floor and kissed him. He kissed back, wrapping his arms around her. He hadn't been this happy in long time. He smiled to himself as he kissed her. "I love you Emmy Altava," he thought. "I love you so much."


	25. Spies Among Us

Chapter 24 – Spies Among Us

"I think we should recover the third artefact soon," Jai said.

Three days had passed since the ice cream incident, and Layton, Emmy, Flora, Bronev, Celeste, Jai, Aurora and the Triton family were all in the Triton's kitchen. They had just eaten dinner, courtesy of Emmy and Brenda, and were perfectly relaxed and full.

"We've seen nothing of Vaughan in the last two months," Luke said. "Do you think the coast is clear and we don't have to guard everywhere anymore?"

"I sincerely doubt it, Luke," Celeste said. "He could strike at any moment."

"But he hasn't, not or two months," Luke pointed out. "Why would he strike now?"

"You don't know him, Luke," Celeste said. "He's a very... unpredictable type. He could do anything anywhere at any time. We have to keep everywhere under heavy protection, to prevent anyone from getting hurt."

"I don't think he wants to really hurt anyone, you know," Flora said. "I mean, Mr. Flanagan and Miss O'Brien are both back, safe and sound. They returned the day before yesterday."

"Yes, and they have both been heavily questioned by both the resistance and Superintendant Grosky. As far as they knew, one minute they were under threat, and the next, they were being packed off on holiday."

"And St. Mary's is being rebuilt without any kind of glitches," Luke said. "No one else has been threatened or even contacted by him. I think he's gone."

"That's what he wants you to think," Bronev said. "But believe me, he is far from gone, trust me o that."

"How do you know?" Luke asked.

"I have... contacts that are keeping a close eye on Vaughan for me, and are keeping me informed and up to date on his whereabouts. He is closer than you think, and it appears we are not the only ones keeping tabs on the opposition."

"You mean he's watching us?" Clark asked.

"Precisely."

"He's been spotted outside the estate on numerous occasions, talking to Carla's sister, Tori. Don't worry," Celeste said as Emmy opened her mouth to object. "She's our source. She has been keeping an extremely close eye on Vaughan for us. She tells us that his plan won't fall into place until he's certain of our plan."

"And what do you mean by that?" the professor asked.

"His plan will depend on whether we decide to keep searching for the artefacts. If we decide to continue doing so, he will simply wait until we have gotten hold of them and he will try to find a way of stealing them, and if we decide to abandon our search in the hopes of Vaughan waiting for us to find them, he will find a way of stealing the artefacts we have I possession and the sword. Either way, in his eyes, he will get the artefacts."

"I think we should get hold of all of the artefacts," Jai said. "I've tried to drag it out as long as possible, but we know that he has spies in the vicinity. We need to plan ahead of ourselves, and protect the artefacts from falling into the hands of the spies. But we cannot be certain that no one in this room is a spy."

Everyone stopped at this.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked. He glanced at Bronev.

So did Flora and the professor. Emmy glared at them.

"I case anyone has any suspicions, Uncle Leon and I are completely against Vaughan, thank you," Emmy said coldly. "And so is the doctor."

"I understand if any of you suspects me," Jai said.

"Why would we suspect you?" Aurora asked.

Everyone else looked very shifty at this.

"I understand that I have been keeping a lot of things from you all," Jai said. "Like the true horrors of the Grounds of Rebirth."

"And the artefacts, such as before when we only found out about the beasts when we saw you fight the first one," Clark pointed out. "And the sword, when you found it, you hid it from us. And—"

"Yes, I have been keeping a lot of secrets from you. But I could not trust you at the time. I knew nothing about you at the time, except that yur souls contained more good than bad. Nevertheless, there are a lot of souls who are classified as good souls, but only act on their darkness side. I didn't know if any of you used your darkness side, or your good side."

"So that's how people are able to do bad and selfish things," Flora said. "Because everyone has a darkness side."

"Exactly," Jai said. "I think these spies were tempted by the allure of the Grounds of Rebirth, and that Vaughan has done a deal with them to allow them to use the Grounds of Rebirth. That is why they are on his side. We must protect the artefacts from the spies. We need a plan."

"I don't think they will attempt to steal the artefacts until the four of them are all together," Bronev said, "so we need a plan of action for when these artefacts are all together."

"Do you know of anyone who is not a true spy?" the professor asked. "We obviously cannot believe the person if they say that they are not spies."

"Emmy, Bronev and Doctor Folley here are definitely not spies," Jai said. "Despite what you all think. And I know that you and your daughter are not spies, professor, and the Triton's here have been victims since the very beginning, so I sincerely doubt that they are spying on the behalf of the man who terrorised them and their son. And Aurora here has been assisting me since the beginning, so she hasn't had time to be a traitor. So that clears everyone in this room. That is all we need."

"We must keep a close watch over all of the artefacts," the professor said. "He may only strike when all of the artefacts are together, but we can't be too careful. Emmy and I will look after one artefact and Bronev will look after the other. Jai will continue to protect the sword. We must not let anyone else touch the artefacts. We cannot be too careful."

"Agreed," Bronev said.

Jai handed one artefact to the professor and the other to Bronev. They pocketed the artefacts.

"So when are we going to get the next artefact?" Emmy asked.

"Tomorrow, I think. It's growing rather late now," Jai replied. "Luckily, I know exactly which artefact we will get next."

"Oh, really? Is that so?" Bronev asked.

"The water idol will be next. The one we spoke about."

"How do you know?" the professor asked.

"The fire idol needs all three of the other artefacts in order to reach its location," Jai explained. "The water idol is the only one left, through the process of elimination."

"I see," the professor said.

"I fear that this one will be even more difficult and dangerous than the last one. If the water idol resides in a public place, then a lot of people will be in mortal peril."

"We will need the entire resistance to evacuate that area if that is the case," Celeste said. "We must set out first thing tomorrow to determine the location of the next artefact and then we will call a resistance meeting to give everyone their instructions."

"Right you are," Jai said.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Emmy said brightly.

"Tomorrow it is," the professor said.

* * *

Jai tapped Aurora on the shoulder and beckoned for her to follow. They left the room and went upstairs into the spare room. Aurora turned to Jai.

"How do you know that we can trust them with the artefacts? Usually you are so suspicious of them—"

"The artefacts are not the most important elements of this situation, the word is," Jai said. "No one would be able to get anywhere near the Grounds of Rebirth without the sword. I have the sword right here on me at all times, so I know it is safe. As for the other artefacts, well... we will simply have to trust them and let them prove themselves worthy. You seem confident that they are trustworthy, so I will put my faith in them, to see if they fail or not."

"So you're testing them?" Aurora asked.

"Yes. We need to see if they have learned anything from their experiences and we will see if they will learn anything from their experiences with the Grounds of Rebirth. I daresay that they will."

"Of course," Aurora said. "At least you are trying to trust them now, as oppose to earlier."

"I thought them that I could prevent the use of the grounds, but I know now that I cannot. We must let them make their own mistakes, so that they have the opportunity to learn and prevent what is to come from getting out of hand. Do you understand?"

Aurora nodded.

"Good. We must rest. Tomorrow will be busy and we must remain focussed."

"Yes," Aurora said.

"And also, look out for anyone that you may think of as a spy and report them to me," Jai said. "It is essential that I know who they are, so that I can get the wheels turning on a plan of mine."

"You have a plan?" Aurora said.

"Yes," Jai said. "It goes something like this..."


	26. Investigation of the Area

Chapter 25 – Investigation of the Area

"So how far away do you think this place is?" Emmy asked.

It was the next day and Emmy, Layton and Jai had decided to set out in search of the location of the next artefact to determine whether an evacuation would be in order for the following day. They had been driving for a few hours now.

"We're getting close, now," Jai replied. "I think we're headed to the River Liffey in Dublin. It's looking very sad now."

"Yes," the professor agreed. "This demands a large scale evacuation. It is the capital city, after all."

Jai pulled her arm into the window and pocketed the sword once more. "I think we should make a detour and go on past Dublin and see if it points us in the same area. That way, we can triangulate the approximate area of the idol without awakening it and causing a disruption."

"Good idea," Emmy agreed. "We can't disturb anyone or alert them of the idols presence, otherwise there will be full scale havoc over it, won't there?"

"Yes. A resistance evacuation will be a lot less chaotic then a giant water monster coming at them," the professor said as he turned off of the motorway leading to Dublin city and headed for Meath instead. "We'll go fifteen minutes in this direction, and if it points towards Dublin again, we'll call Celeste and head back for our orders."

"Right you are," Emmy said, sitting back.

* * *

"Where do you think they are?" Flora asked Luke nervously.

It was lunchtime and they were sitting in the assembly area with Aldaz and Aurora, as the others had gone into town. Luke patted Flora's hand.

"Don't worry, Flora," Luke said comfortingly. "They're not doing anything dangerous today. They're just investigating the area to see if it could potentially harm others, so that they can sort out an evacuation. And even when they do eventually find the monster, Jai will fight it, the professor and Emmy will only be on standby in case Jai needs them."

"Okay," Flora said, still looking worried.

"Do not worry," Aurora said. "Jai knows what she is doing. She will be fine defeating this monster, just like she was with the other two."

"But did you hear what she said yesterday?" Flora asked. "_I fear that this one will be even more difficult and dangerous than the last one. _What if she gets hurt and the professor has to go and rescue her and he gets hurt as well?"

"It won't come to that," Luke said, but he was trying to convince himself of that more than Flora.

"No, it won't," Aldaz said. "Because we'll make them promise to abort the whole mission if things get out of hand. Won't we?"

"Yeah," Flora agreed. "I can't let them go out there and get themselves killed."

Aldaz nodded. "We'll force the issue when we get back after school."

"Yes," Aurora said, "Yes we will."

* * *

"Okay, try now," the professor said as they pulled over outside the City North Hotel on the side of the motorway.

Jai got out of the car and raised the sword. " Yes, it is pointing directly for Dublin."

"I'll call the doctor," Emmy said, taking out her phone and dialling Celeste's number.

"Hello?" Celeste's voice said from the other side of the phone.

"Hi, it's me," Emmy said. "We've just pinpointed the location of the next artefact, it's in Dublin city. We need a large scale evacuation. This will take a lot of planning."

"Did you get an exact location of the beast?" Celeste asked.

"We couldn't get too near in case we revived it," Emmy explained.

"All areas near the river will be in a lot of danger," Jai said. "It would be wise to evacuate everywhere within a fifteen mile radius from the river. Effectively, the whole city and we'll probably have to close a few of the motorways for god measure."

"Did you get that?" Emmy asked Celeste.

"Yes," Celeste said. "That sounds like the best plan. Go and get some lunch and head back right away. I'll call for a resistance meeting of both of the Dublin sectors this evening. I think you Hershel and Jai should stay where you are."

"Alright," Emmy replied. "We'll meet you in the City North Hotel off the motorway to Meath. See you soon."

She hung up.

"I think we ought to stop here and get something in the hotel here before while we wait for Celeste," Emmy said to the professor.

"Yes, that would be the best thing to do."

"I'll stay here in the car until Celeste comes," Jai said.

"Alright." The two of them set off for the hotel.

Jai got into the car and sat back. She sighed heavily. "The time is coming closer," she thought. "Slowly but surely, all will be revealed."

* * *

Emmy tucked into her plate of Spaghetti Bolognese, stuffing it all in as fast as she could. Layton could not avert his gaze from the spectacle before him.

"Emmy," he smiled, "your food isn't going anywhere. It's not trying to escape. You don't need to force it all in like that."

"Its food time," Emmy grinned, still eating at breakneck speed.

Layton sighed, still smiling at her. "I suppose this is why I love her," he thought. "For all her quirks..." he shook his head and started to eat.

Emmy sat back, finished her plate in two seconds flat. Layton smiled at her.

"Are you still hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Emmy grinned.

Layton pushed some money across the table. "Why don't you go and get another plate?"

Emmy beamed at him. "Thank you, Professor," she smiled. "Would you like another cup of tea?"

"Please," he smiled.

Emmy got up and kissed him on the cheek as she passed. Layton smiled and took another forkful of his spaghetti.

"Pretty one, isn't she?" a voice said quietly from behind him.

Layton turned around. A middle-aged man smiled at him. Layton recognised him immediately.

"... Vaughan, isn't it?" Layton said calmly.

"Call me Aleks," he said.

"What is it that you want?" the professor asked, keeping a close eye on Emmy.

"It is wise of you to keep a close eye on that girly of yours," Vaughan drawled. "Just in case something might happen to her..."

"You don't scare me, you know," the professor said coldly. "You can't hurt Emmy. She's perfectly able to handle herself."

"Oh, is she?" Vaughan sneered. "So she's the strongest person you know, is she?"

"That's right?" the professor said proudly.

"You obviously don't know a lot of people then, do you?"

"How dare you—"

"So if you know the infamous Emmeline Altava, then I presume you know her uncle, Bronev? Leon Bronev?"

The professor paused, glaring at Vaughan. "What do you know about Bronev?"

"Everything. I know everything that he has done in the past. I know of all of the lives he has ruined. And I know what he has done to Emmeline."

"What?"

"He's hurt her more than I ever have. Trust me, Professor Layton. She's in more pain than you realise."

The professor turned to look at Emmy, happily chatting to the lady at the counter. The professor frowned.

"It's all an act so that you will not worry. Believe me, she is deeply unhappy. I only want to help her, but Bronev is the only person standing in the way of that. I need to stop him from taking Emmeline away from me, and you're the only person who can stop him."

"What do you mean?" the professor asked. "You never tried to help Emmy. You kidnapped her and held her against her will. You burned down her aunt's house when she was ten."

"Who told you that?" Vaughan asked sharply.

"She did," the professor said.

"And who told her that?"

"Er..."

"Bronev did. He's lying. Trust me." He looked over in Emmy's direction quickly and saw that she was preparing to head back. He got up. "Just trust me," he said and he left.

Emmy came over with another plate of food, a cup of tea for the professor and a big smile on her face. "Here you go!" she beamed, placing the professor's cup f tea on the table.

"Thank you, dear," he smiled. He took a long sip from his cup and Emmy began to stuff her face again. She noticed a rather puzzled expression on the professor's face. She swallowed.

"Is everything alright, Professor?" she asked.

"Er..." the professor sighed.

"No?" Emmy asked. She stopped eating and took his hand.

The professor nodded.

"You know that you can ask me anything," Emmy said.

"I... I'm afraid that you will get hurt," the professor said. "It may be a rather... sensitive topic for you, Emmy."

"Vaughan?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. He swallowed. "When he burned down Juanita's house... is that the only place you know him from? Have you ever met him before or after that?"

Emmy sighed. "Yes," she said. "He... decided to show his face about eighteen months ago, shortly after I left London. He... well..." Emmy trailed off, looking upset.

The professor squeezed her hand. "You can tell me anything. Anything at all. Please, Emmy." He looked into her eyes, which were quickly filling with tears.

"I... it's just..." she began. She started to sob quietly into her hands.

The professor got up and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He kissed the top of her head. "H ere, now. It's alright. You can tell me anything, I'll never judge you."

Emmy buried her face into is jacket and hugged him tightly. "It was horrible..." she sobbed.

The professor began to rock her gently, rubbing her back. "What did he do to you?" he asked.

"He..." she sniffed. " He... locked me up... he hurt me and he h-h-hit me and..." Emmy began to sob even more.

The professor hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead. "It's alright," he soothed. "I understand. You don't have to say any more."

Emmy took a handkerchief from out of her pocket and blew her nose. She wiped her eyes. The Professor stroked her hair and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm sorry for getting so upset..." she said.

The professor shook his head. "None of this is your fault. You're the victim in all of this."

"Thank you for comforting me," Emmy smiled, wiping away the last of her tears.

The professor smiled. "That's my job, as both a gentleman and your boyfriend."

Emmy beamed at him. "Thank you, Professor."

He laughed. "Well, Emmy, we have been seeing each other for over two months now. I really think you should start calling me Hershel."

Emmy's eyes widened. "Really?" she said. She smiled. "I'm not sure. I've been calling you Professor for so long now, it might feel... awkward."

The professor laughed again and this time Emmy joined in.

"I don't want it to be awkward, Emmy. I want you to feel comfortable around me. I want you to be able to tell me everything that's bothering you, just as I want to be able to tell you everything that is bothering me. Do you understand?"

Emmy nodded.

"Good," the professor smiled. "Now, is there anything else that you want to tell me?"

Emmy suddenly looked nervous. The professor put his arm back around her.

"I... I know something else, about Vaughan. But... I'm... I'm not ready," she mumbled, tensing up in his arms.

The professor kissed her head once more. "Whenever you feel ready, you come and tell me," he said. "I don't want you t feel uncomfortable. Alright?"

Emmy nodded into his shoulder.

"Good."

Emmy lifted up her head and smiled at him. "I love you, Hershel," she said.

"I love you too," the professor smiled.

Emmy brought he face closer to his and kissed him. The professor wrapped his arms back around her and kissed back. Emmy tightened her grip on him. The professor did the same.

"Excuse me, are you done with that?"

They broke apart to find a waiter staring at them curiously. They blushed.

"Ah... sorry. I didn't mean to... disturb you..." he trailed off, grinning awkwardly. "Are you done with your food yet?"

"Er... no," the professor smiled.

"Okay," he said and he scurried off.

The professor smiled and turned to Emmy. "Feeling better now?" he asked.

Emmy grinned. "Much better."

* * *

Celeste made another turn on the highway, narrowly missing a speeding sports car. "Damn you, boy racers!" she swore.

"Maybe I should drive," Bronev suggested.

"No need," Carla said. "We're nearly there."

"I'm driving on the way back," Bronev said.

"And I'm going in the other car with Emmy," Carla said. "Then I might be able to breathe."

She was currently squashed between Vinnie and Monica, who was only there to do the official paperwork that the council would probably issue the resistance when they demand an evac order to be issued. Grosky was following along in a borrowed squad car with Antonio, Randall and Henry in tow. After much begging on Randall's part and a lot of shouting on Angela's part, Randall eventually was able to accompany the resistance and aid in the evacuation and in the identification of the next artefact.

"There, look," Celeste pointed. Layton's hired Toyota Corolla was in sight, parked at the side of the motorway outside the City North Hotel.

"Let's go," Bronev said, getting out of the car. "They're probably inside that hotel."

"But I see someone in the car," Carla pointed out.

"That's probably just Jai," Celeste pointed out. "They probably went for food and Jai isn't a big fan of food.

Grosky's borrowed car pulled over beside theirs. He hurried out of the car with the other three in tow.

"Where is he?" Grosky demanded. "I demand an update on this case! It's been dragging on for months! We need to wrap this up!"

"It will go on for as long as it needs to," Jai said sharply, making them all jump. "As for Layton, he's in the hotel, probably in the dining area, with Emmy. Shall we?" She set off before anyone could reply.

The others followed.

* * *

Emmy and Layton were locked in a tight embrace once more. They had finished their food long ago, and now neither one of them wanted to let the other go. They were kissing fiercely when they others arrived.

Bronev smiled. He walked up behind them and cleared his throat loudly. They broke apart quickly. The others laughed.

"Are you guys finished your little make-out session yet?" Vinnie said slyly.

A blush started to creep over Emmy's cheeks as Bronev sat down next to her. Bronev placed an arm around Emmy's shoulders as he spoke.

"So the idol definitely resides in Dublin city, yes?" he asked.

"Yes," Jai replied. "We pointed the beam in two different angles, with the same result. We definitely need to evacuate."

"Right," Celeste said. "I got in to the resistance director of this sector before I left, and he's going to call a meeting right away. He also called on the government for more support and they sent some agents from America, so they will be following us back from Dublin after we get the next artefact."

"What? America? But that's out of their jurisdiction, isn't it?" Grosky asked.

"Apparently it is in its jurisdiction. Apparently Vaughan used to be a naval officer who went AWOL after a triple homicide three years ago," Celeste replied. "Either way, they will be taking part in our investigation. They want to hear about everything Vaughan has done and they want to review our witnesses, so they will want to talk o you, Emmy and Jai as well."

"Oh, great," Emmy said sarcastically.

Bronev tightened his grip around Emmy's shoulders.

"The meeting will be in half an hour, so if we want to get there before rush hour, we'd want to head off about now," Celeste said. "Come."

"Is everybody here yet?" Gibson asked.

"We're just waiting on the leading sector of the resistance, along with the leaders themselves, boss," his partner, Johnson said.

* * *

Gibson checked his watch. "It's almost six," he thought. "She called the damn meeting, the least she could do is arrive on time..."

The door opened with a bang and the group hurried over to the table, where all were sat.

"I'm terribly sorry—" Celeste began.

"Where the hell have you been?" Gibson demanded. "You're half an hour late!"

"I'm sorry, but we came all the way from the south of the country—"

"We came all the way from Washington DC and we're still here an hour early!" Gibson roared.

"Well, you got a direct flight to the airport around the corner, whereas we had to drive for the last 157 miles, and we've been stuck in traffic for the last hour!" Emmy protested. "None of the cars in front of us were moving and it's all _**our**_ fault, so I'm terribly sorry, _**sir**_."

Vinnie and Antonio cracked up laughing at this. Carla smiled at Emmy. The professor and Celeste both gave her exasperated looks. Bronev covered his eyes with one hand.

Grosky stepped forward and jumped to Emmy's defence. "The girl is right. We don't even know who you are. Would you mind telling us who it is who is yelling at us as soon as we enter the room?"

"Special Agent Lee Gibson," he said coldly. "And this is my partner."

"Special Agent Anthony Johnson," he said. He smiled at Carla. "But the ladies call me Tony."

"Hello, Agent Johnson," Emmy said, smirking.

He looked at her, grinning from ear to ear. "I didn't think you could stay away, Emmy!"

Emmy grinned back. "How are you?" she asked. "Have you gotten any better at taking pictures that aren't blurry?"

"You know this guy?" Carla asked.

"Yeah, we did the same photography course in Gressenheller about five years ago," Emmy smiled.

"I needed to do the course to be able to survey crime scenes," Tony said.

"Sit down," Gibson snarled. "We haven't got all day."

The group sat down, each giving him dirty looks.

"So, why exactly are you here, if you don't mind my asking," the professor said.

"I'm after the same man that you are, so my partner and I have decided to join your resistance."

"But is Vaughan not out of your jurisdiction, seeing as this is a security problem of Britain and Ireland, and not America?"

"I am from the CIA. I've been looking for that man for the past three years. He was part of the navy, but he committed a triple murder homicide and went AWOL. We've been looking for this guy for years now, but we've eard nothing of him or his whereabouts since he left. And it gets worse."

"What?" Celeste asked.

"He hacked into our government files and erased all of his history, his criminal record, his credit history, his family records... everything is gone."

"He did the same in England," Bronev said. "And the Czech Republic. We can't get a single piece of accurate information on him."

"We got a description," Emmy reminded him. "I put the sketch art I did into the file Celeste has."

Celeste removed the file in question from her bag and handed it to Gibson.

Gibson opened it and looked through it. "The crimes you have listed here are the things he has done in this country since his arrival, is it?"

"Exactly," Celeste said. "The names and addresses of all of the witnesses are enclosed."

"I'll get an accomplice onto it immediately after this meeting," Gibson said. "We need to discuss this man's motives for the crimes he has committed."

"We have one so far," Bronev said. "He is after an archaeological find in the south of the country, called the Grounds of Rebirth. At the moment, these grounds can be unlocked by using the four artefacts, which can be found by an artefact that we have in our possession. We are currently locating the artefacts and keeping them away from Vaughan's possession."

"We cannot stop Vaughan."

Gibson turned to glare at Jai. "Yes we can. We have only the best working on this case. We will stop him."

"He will not stop until he uses the Grounds of Rebirth. He will not learn of the true terrors of the grounds of rebirth until he experiences them first hand."

"What is this child talking about?" Gibson snapped. "Get her out of here at once!"

"Do what you wish, but the fact remains that I am the only person here that actually knows anything about the Grounds of Rebirth," Jai said, smiling. "So it would be incredibly unwise to do that."

"Can we just get on with what we came here to do?" Celeste snapped. "We came here to organise an evacuation of the surrounding Dublin area so that we can get hold of the next artefact." She turned to Gibson. "Are you going to help us or not?"

Gibson frowned. "I really do not see what gathering these artefacts is going to do to help this situation. Having them all in one place will only make it easier for him to get them."

"But it is inevitable that Vaughan will get the artefacts anyway, so there is no point in leaving them where they are," Jai said. "We may as well go after them and drag out the time until it is the very last moment. Call it prolonging the agony."

"What do you mean?" Gibson asked.

"Basically, the sword that Jai possesses points the way to the artefacts and the location f the grounds themselves," Bronev explained. "Jai was informed by the spirit underworld that it would be inevitable that Vaughan would get access to the Grounds of Rebirth and endanger everyone's existence."

"Give the sword to me, and I'll put it into protection," Gibson said. "Only agents with top level clearance will get access."

"Vaughan has spies in all of the higher powers," the professor explained. "The government agencies, parliament, the police... even the resistance."

There were audible gasps at this last statement.

"What?" Tony exclaimed.

"Yes," Celeste said. "What the professor here says is true. There are undoubtedly a number of spies in all sectors, tampering with investigations, passing on information to the wrong hands... there are probably a number of spies in this very room."

Suspicious looks and glances were thrown around the room at this comment.

"And what are you going to do about this?" Gibson asked.

We have cleared a select number of people of all suspicion. They will be taking custody of the artefacts until we get them all."

"And then what?" Gibson demanded. "With all of the artefacts, you will be targeted by the opposition. The artefacts will be stolen in no time."

"We will have to confront Vaughan at that stage," Jai said. "We will have to call him over and talk to him, face to face, and answer each other's questions."

"No offense to anyone who played a vital role in the decision-making process of this plan," Tony said. "But it sucks. Big time."

"Alright then," Jai said. "You take the sword and put it into custody, and when it gets stolen by a spy in the government whose identity is completely unknown to you, we'll know who to blame."

She handed out the sword to Tony. He merely stared at it, but didn't say anything.

Jai smiled. "That's... what I thought." She pocketed it once more.

Celeste smiled at her. "And so, to business. We need to evacuate the area from the water idol, as we will be reviving it tomorrow. Everyone has to be gone, out of the area, to ensure their safety. Everyone in this city must be notified immediately and the evacuation must be complete by at least tomorrow afternoon. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded at this.

"No can do, lady," Tony said. "According to the evac protocols, there has to be at least 24 hours notice before a full-scale evacuation can be held. Even at that, you need a member of local parliament and the local cops to verify it."

"I'm the local T.D. of this area. I'll gladly verify it, for the safety of the people," a man at the opposite end of the table said proudly.

"And I'm sure Grosky could sign for local authority, seeing as these are incredibly unusual circumstances," the professor pointed out. "And the circumstances should allow us to waver the law about the 24 hour waiting period, don't you think?"

"Excellent," Celeste smiled. "All we need is a contract and we're done. We'll also need copies of those signatures on our notices."

"We'll probably have to send them door to door, it's getting late. Too late for some people to see them in public places," Grosky pointed out.

"The members of my sector wil take care of all of that, ma'am," a tall man in a grey suit said. "Give me the run down, and we will get to work immediately."

"Hmm..." Celeste paused, thinking. "The situation is rather complicated for explanation. Just put that Vaughan is planning a full-scale attack on this city and that everyone has until twelve tomorrow afternoon to grab a few belongings and leave, and anyone who doesn't risks their lives. That'll shift them."

"Right," he said, scribbling it all down onto his clipboard. "I'll get onto it right away."

He scurried off.

"What do you mean, full scale attack?" Gibson demanded.

"Well, it is technically a full-scale attack, seeing as the beast will probably attack the town as well as Jai," Celeste said.

"Beast? What?" Tony exclaimed.

"There is an idol, or beast, that is protecting the artefact, and we must kill it so that we can get hold of it," Jai explained. "We are evacuating the citizens for their own safety."

Gibson scoffed. "I refuse to believe something so ridiculous."

"Come along if you like, to witness it yourself," Jai offered. "I have done all necessary explaining on my half, and with that, I'll be off." She upped and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I think I'll do the same," Celeste said. "My acquaintances and I have a rather long day ahead, and we need our rest. Good evening to you all." Celeste rose from her seat and beckoned for the others to follow her.

After they left the room, Gibson scoffed loudly.

"Grounds of Rebirth... giant monster... the people in this organisation are insane." He laughed. "A beast indeed. What a load of shit."


	27. The Water Idol

Chapter 26 – The Water Idol

"What do you mean, no?!" Emmy exclaimed incredulously.

"I'm sorry, love, but I just can't believe a word you say, it all sounds like a crock of shit to me, and I have work this afternoon. And no one else is leaving, so neither am I!"

"But your life could be put in real danger by this thing!" Emmy protested. "You need to get out now while you still can!"

"Not a chance!" the man slammed the door I her face.

"For fuck's sake!" Emmy cursed.

This was the fifteenth time this had happened to Emmy this morning. And it was all Gibson's fault. He tampered with the letter and stated the truth in it. The completely unbelievable truth. The truth that no one in their right mind would evacuate for, not even Emmy on a normal day. But this was a different situation for her.

Emmy made her way down the road and to their meeting point near the river. She was sick of the day already, and it had barely even started yet. She was dreading what was to come even more now, as there were many more lies at stake now. Tens of thousands of lives.

She arrived at her destination to find Jai there alone, staring out to the river. She looked sad. Emmy walked over to her. Jai looked up as Emmy arrived.

"Are you okay?" Emmy asked her.

"I'll live," Jai said. "For now."

Emmy opened her mouth to question her about that statement, but she was interrupted by Celeste, who had just arrived behind her.

"How many did you manage to evacuate?" she asked.

"None," Emmy replied sourly. "All of them either told me that I was crazy and slammed the door, or they just slammed the door and didn't say anything."

Celeste scowled. "If we all get out of this alive, I'll kill that Gibson. They swore to me that he was competent. Obviously not."

"Well, he's obviously never experienced anything of the supernatural sort before," Emmy pointed out. "He doesn't believe anything we say. Although, I can hardly say that I blame him. I probably wouldn't believe him if I hadn't witnessed everything that has happened so far."

"I suppose you're right," Celeste sighed, sitting on a nearby bench. "But the locals... they should realise that we've gone to too much trouble for this to possibly be a joke."

"Well, I know a few people who have pulled some shocking stunts," Emmy smiled. "Ask Vinnie."

"I suppose. They must think we're a bunch of psychos."

"Like Vinnie," Emmy laughed.

"Call the others," Jai said. "I will be reviving the idol soon."

Emmy and Celeste froze. "WHAT!"

"We cannot wait any longer," Jai said.

"Yes we can!" Emmy protested. "What, do you have other plans? Or has the sword's battery run out?"

"No, but a parade will be arriving shortly to commemorate the Easter Rising, and this street will soon be full of people," Jai explained. "We must act now, before many more lives are put at risk."

"But even if they're not on this particular street, their lives are in danger anyway!" Celeste said angrily.

"So I'll revive it now and get it out of the way?" Jai suggested.

"NO!" Emmy and Celeste yelled in unison.

"Then call the others and get them over here to help us!"

* * *

"Any joy?" Randall asked the professor.

"None at all," the professor sighed. "You?"

"Not a thing," Randall said. "Apparently, we're all nutters and no one is to listen to a word we say.

"And who said that?" the professor asked.

"Gibson. He's against us. He doesn't believe it, so it can't be real, apparently. He made the whole situation sound ridiculous in the letter the resistance sent out."

"Unbelievable," Henry sighed.

The professor's phone sounded, and he retrieved it from his pocket and checked it. His eyes widened.

"What is it, Hersh?" Randall asked, frowning at the professor.

"Jai's reviving the idol," the professor replied, looking panic-stricken. "We must go now!"

* * *

Jai sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't wait any longer, Emmy."

"Please, at least wait until Hershel gets here," Emmy begged. "I need him here with me. Please."

"Jai, wait! You mustn't!" the professor cried, running towards her.

Jai sighed. "There is a parade beginning in a few moments, and the more people that came here the more people will be in danger. I must vive the idol before the people get here!"

"But—" the professor began, but it was too late.

Jai raised the sword. The beam of light that emitted form it shone directly into the river. The others gasped as they watched what happened to it.

The water began to draw together and form a sphere-like shape. It rose up into the sky, higher and higher. Layton turned around to see civilians emerging from their houses and other various buildings to get a good look at the spectacle. Their faces read shocked expressions, mixed with confusion, and a little guilt thrown in. Guilt for not believing the resistance when they warned them.

Vinnie, Carla, Antonio, Bronev, Grosky, Monica, Gibson and Tony all ran forward, gasping at the scene before them.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Gibson yelled.

Limbs began to protrude from the ball of water and a giant water beast stared the crowd down. It looked slender for its height, and it was quite long. The water molecules it was made up of were so tightly packed together that it was almost solid.

It slowly began to descent back to the river, which still had half of its water in it. Its feet rested on the edges of the meander that ran through the area and it dipped its arm into the river.

The crowd watched in silence as the idol drew water from the river. Jai immediately knew what was coming. "Shit," she thought as the beast raised its arms above its head.

"Run," she yelled. "Run!" RUN! EVERYONE! RUNFOR YOUR LIVES!"

It was too late.

The beast cried out n anger as it threw its arms out towards the now vast crowd. Waves of river water came gushing at them quickly at full force.

Chaos. There were screams and yelling from the crowd around them.

Grosky ran in front of the crowd and waved his arms in the air.

"GET AWAY! EVERYONE GET AWAY! AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN!" he roared.

Gibson began to run away with the crowd. "EVERYONE, THIS WAY!" he bellowed.

"I'M OUTTA HERE!" Vinnie screamed and he bolted after the crowd, with Monica and Tony following suit.

Carla glared viciously after them "CHICKEN SHITS!" she screamed after them.

Emmy ran forward and grabbed Carla and dragged her into a nearby house where the others had taken shelter and slammed the door. Water pelted at the door and began to seep in under it.

Jesus," Carla breathed.

The professor appeared at the top of the staircase and called down to them, "up here! Hurry!"

They both ran upstairs after the professor and joined the others at the hallway window. They looked out to the beast, which was gathering up water. Emmy grabbed the professor's hand quickly. Bronev looked at her and took her other hand.

Bronev turned to the professor. "Do you see a way out of this?" he asked.

"I do," he replied. "But it will take all of us to do it. Listen..."


	28. A Laytonesque Plan in Action

Chapter 27 – A Laytonesque Plan in Action

"... now, do you all understand?" the professor asked.

They all nodded.

"Right. Jai, if you will..."

Jai raised the sword, and the beam pointed to the back of the idol's neck. "There," she said.

"Right. Everyone outside."

Layton ran down the stairs, with the others in hot pursuit. They ran back out onto the street and crossed out in front of the idol. The idol turned to face them and raised its arm, preparing its next attack.

* * *

Jai, meanwhile, had snuck around behind the idol over to a multi-storey penthouse building and had entered it. She ran into the elevator and pressed the button for floor twenty, the top floor. The elevator ascended slowly and calm relaxing music came on. Jai sighed and rolled her eyes. "Crummy human inventions," she thought bitterly. "I should've taken the stairs."

* * *

Layton and co. were running back and front across the plaza. The idol turned this way and that, trying to follow them with its eyes. Layton stopped in the middle of the plaza.

"Split up!" he yelled. "Carla, Antonio, Celeste, Grosky and Henry that way!" he pointed right. "Emmy, Randall and Bronev with me!" he ran left. Randall tore off after him. Bronev and Emmy's eyes met for a moment, and then they ran off to join Layton.

The four of them stopped and hid behind an abandoned skip.

"I need you three to gather the materials I requested earlier. Go."

Emmy, Bronev and Randall tore off in three different directions. Layton sighed. "I just hope this works," he thought.

* * *

Emmy ran into a nearby rubber factory, slamming the door behind her. She looked around to see a few of the workers there, who had taken refuge in the factory after running away from the idol. Emmy smiled.

"Hey!" one of them cried out. "You came to my house this morning, trying to get me to evacuate!"

"Yes, I did," Emmy grinned, recognising him immediately. "Looks like you should have listened, eh?"

The man looked rather sheepish t this. Emmy smiled. "Looks like you owe me a favour, then, for not listening to me."

The man sighed. "What is it, then?" he asked.

"I need the largest strip of rubber you've got," Emmy said. "As quick as you can."

* * *

Bronev wandered around, looking for the required materials he had been ordered to retrieve. He spotted a carpenters workshop with the door wide open and no one in. "perfect," he thought, and he ran in.

* * *

Randall, meanwhile, was wandering around a nearby park, looking for his required object. "Something Y shaped," he thought. "Something Y shaped..."

He spotted a large tree in the middle of the park. He approached it cautiously. It was about seven feet tall, but the trunk was thick and the there were two thick branches that stuck out of the top f the tree, making it Y shaped, exactly what Randall needed. But Randall noticed a stone plaque in front of the tree with a metal sigh on it. It read:

_In memory of Sue Green, a kind loving woman, a wonderful wife and a dear loving mother, whose ashes were scattered on this spot. Rest in peace._

Randall, sighed, feeling sickened with himself. "This will have to do," he said, running to the park keeper's shed to grab an axe.

* * *

And the others were at a building site, gathering old blocks and bricks and anything else of use they could find. Layton's plan was going well.

* * *

Emmy ran back with a 14ft long strip of rubber. She handed it to Layton.

"Will that do?" she asked.

"Perfect! Well spotted Emmy!" Layton beamed, kissing her on the cheek.

Emmy smiled back. "It was nothing, Hershel. " A man who refused to evacuate this morning did me a favour." She smiled to herself.

Bronev returned with a toolbox. Emmy frowned. "Where did you get that?" she asked.

"Nicked it," he replied casually, dropping it at the professor's feet. "Where are the others?"

"Still not back," Emmy replied, opening the toolbox. There was a battery powered drill, an electric sander, several saws, hammers, wrenches and screw drivers, along with several other compartments filled with screws, nails, nuts and bolts.

"Perfect," the professor nodded. "This is exactly what we need."

As he said this, Randall appeared from around the corner, carrying a large Y shaped tree on his shoulders, panting. "Help me with this!" he gasped.

The other three ran forward and helped Randall lower the tree to the ground.

"Where did you get this?" Emmy asked.

"It was in the park, dedicated to someone called Sue," Randall replied.

Emmy shook her head, disgusted. "Oh, Randall, you didn't..."

The professor lowered his hat over his eyes.

"We'll buy a new one," Bronev said quickly. "We need to hurry."

"Right you are," the professor said, tipping his hat up again. "Let's assemble our weapon."

When they were finished their weapon, Carla, Antonio, Celeste, Grosky and Henry returned with their blocks and bricks from the building site. Antonio smiled when he saw the finished contraption.

"Hey, cool, a giant slingshot!" he exclaimed, grinning at the professor. "I was thinking the same thing when I saw that Bart Simpson poster in that kid's room in that house we were in!"

The professor smiled. "Yes, that is indeed where my inspiration came from. Quickly, we must move our contraption and take our aim. Jai should be ready and waiting for her chance to strike."

They all aided in lifting the sling shot and their "ammo" back to the plaza towards the idol, which was quietly waiting for them to return for the last fifteen minutes.

The group hastily placed the slingshot onto the ground. The idol saw their arrival and raised its arms once more, preparing its own attack. But the resistance was ready for them. Antonio grabbed a block and placed it onto the rubber part of the slingshot, pulling it back. He aimed carefully at the idol's head and let it go. The block flew across the air and hit the idol's head. The idol cried out, holding its head.

"YAHOO!" Antonio yelled, doing the Victory dance. The others laughed at this.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jai was standing on the windowsill facing out towards the plaza on the top floor of the multi-storey building. The idol was directly in front of her, the back of its neck just below her. She pulled out the sword and the weak point glowed brightly in an almost blinding shade of blue.

As Antonio's block hit the idol in the head, it screamed and held its head, unsteady on its feet. Jai saw her chance and jumped onto the idol's back, hanging onto its shoulder. She pulled herself up and stood on its shoulder. She readied her sword, holding it high, and plunged it into the weak point.

The idol screamed out in protest and reached out to grab Jai. But Jai didn't hang around for too long – she had already jumped off and into an open window of one of the lower stories.

Jai landed on her backside on the floor of one of the apartments through the window. She winced and got up. She realised that she was in a bedroom. An occupied bedroom.

Two people, a man and a woman, were in the bed. Neither of them appeared to be wearing anything. They both stared at Jai.

"Aah," Jai said softly. "Sorry about that. Wrong room." She made for the door and left quickly, leaving the young couple extremely confused.

* * *

"Right!" Carla yelled. "Time for round two!"

"Alright!" Antonio yelled back, grabbing another block and readying it in the slingshot. He fired, but the idol ducked down and the block smashed into a window – the exact window that Jai had jumped into moments before.

"Damn!" Antonio swore loudly. "I'll try again!"

He fired another, but missed again.

"Son of a—" Antonio began, but Carla nudged him hard.

"Let me try!" Emmy cried.

"I'll do it!" the professor intervened, picking up another block.

Antonio moved out of the way to let the professor take a turn. Layton loaded the slingshot and took a careful aim. The idol was moving from side to side now, trying to avoid getting hit again. Layton aimed to the far right, and the idol leaned to Layton's left. But the professor quickly aimed left and hit the idol square in the chest.

The idol doubled over in agony and Jai, who had only just escaped from the awkward moment in the bedroom, had gotten to her window on the top floor and jumped onto the idol's shoulder again.

But the idol wasn't in as much pain as before and immediately tried to shake Jai off. It raised its arm and grabbed her, picking her up slowly and preparing to throw her away.

It was holding her above its head when Layton fired another block and hit the idol's arm. The idol cried out again and dropped Jai. Jai landed on the idol's head and rolled down onto the back of it neck. Jai got up onto her feet and prepared to plunge the sword into the weak point again. The idol raised its arm to grab her again.

But it was too late.

Jai plunged the sword into the weak point.

And everything went silent.

Jai's mind was blissfully blank. There was a golden, almost triumphant silence.

Until, as before, Jai's thoughts returned to her.

As did the noise.

"AaarrrrrgggggghhhhAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The other's cheers were completely inaudible over the scream of the idol. Part one of their mission was over. Just about.

The idol began to rise up into the air, higher and higher. Jai jumped off when it was one hundred feet in the air and landed in the window that she jumped out of. The idol continued to rise. It slowly turned from a solid form back to a liquid form. The rest of the water that was in the river began to rise up and join the idol. Higher and higher it rose until it was over a thousand feet in the air. It slowly turned into a spherical shape when it stopped rising.

The sphere expanded, wider and wider. It continued to expand until it was five hundred feet wide. Then it began to retract until it was a small tight sphere once more.

Then it exploded.

Water poured down everywhere, all over the entire city, showering everyone in river water. Everyone, not just the resistance, but the entire population of the city, was drenched. Except for Jai, who was still in the building, making her way down to greet the others. And the young couple, obviously.

Jai emerged from the building and ran over to the others. She smiled at their drenched forms. She looked around.

"I see it's gone," she said calmly, forcing a straight face. "Come, let's find the artefact."

"Where do you suppose it is?" Celeste asked, wringing out her jacket.

"The river bed, I presume," Jai said. "There should be an entrance somewhere here, as this is the place where the idol was guarding. Come." Jai walked over to the edge and looked over at the river bed.

And, sure enough, there was a brass door with a symbol on it.

Jai smiled again and jumped onto the river bed. The others followed suit. She walked over to the door, taking out the sword from her pocket as she went. She spotted a slit in the centre of the door and slotted the sword into it.

The door swung open, revealing a set of steps leading down into a dimly lit chamber, similar to the one in Meelin. Jai beckoned for the others to follow and led the way down.

* * *

The chamber was dimly lit by torches and there was a pedestal in the centre of the room, where the artefact had been placed, almost identical to the other two. Jai strolled over and grabbed it.

"Let's go," Jai said. "We can't stay here forever. The river water will be draining back into the river at a rather quick pace, and we must leave before this chamber gets flooded."

They ran out and climbed out of the river, to find Gibson and Tony had returned.

* * *

Gibson glared at Celeste, who glared back.

"How dare you," Celeste said. "How dare you and your little assistant here completely obstruct our evacuation? Do you realise what you have done? Do you realise the danger that you and the other citizens could have been in? Do you believe us now, when we say that monsters of the supernatural sort are running around causing havoc? Well?"

"We... we're sorry..." Tony stammered, looking very guilty. "I'm sorry that I ran... it's just... I've never seen anything like that before..."

"I don't blame you, Tony," Emmy said, walking over to him and patting his arm. "I blame him." She glared at Gibson.

"I didn't know..." Gibson trailed off.

"That we were telling the truth? We have been, all along! We've been trying to keep everyone in the loop, and what? You distrust us, you obstruct our efforts to protect the locals and you don't even show a single bit of remorse when you have to! Well? Say that you're sorry at least!"

Gibson glared at Celeste, but that look was a smile in comparison to the look that she was giving him. He sighed. "C'mon, Johnson," he muttered. "Let's get back to headquarters." He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Hey! Wait a second! What the fuck?!" Carla yelled.

"You really shouldn't dish out what you can't take, you know!" Antonio called, grinning.

"YEAH, YOU CHICKEN SHIT! FACE UP TO WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

He and Tony kept walking.

"They're not worth it," Bronev reassured her. "And I'm sure he's learned his lesson now."

"Yes," Celeste said, sighing heavily. "Let's go back to the hotel and rest up before we head for home."

"Yes," the professor agreed. "Let's go."

Everyone else left, apart from Carla, who lingered a moment to glare after Gibson and Tony. "A pair of chicken shits if I ever saw them," she thought, as she turned to follow the others.


	29. It's Gone

Chapter 28 – It's Gone

"Randall!"

Randall was startled when he got ut of the car to find that he was nearly suffocated by a huge bear hug. Randall gasped, rubbing his ribcage.

"Randall! I was so worried! We saw what happened on the news – are you okay? Oh, goodness, you're soaked! What happened? Was it that monster? Come in, come in!"

Angela grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside.

"I knew you shouldn't have gone, you'll get sick at this rate, and then what?"

"Angie, calm down! I'm fine!" Randall protested as she dragged him upstairs to the spare room to change. Randall looked back at the professor and mouthed "help me!" to the professor.

Th professor laughed and entered the living room to see the others.

* * *

Brenda was alone in the living room when the professor and Emmy entered. She smiled as they entered.

"Hello, Hershel, Emmy. I see that the mission was a success!"

The professor smiled back. "Yes. We got the third artefact and no one was injured. It was indeed successful. Tell me, where has Flora gone? I don't see her."

"Oh, she's gone into town with Luke and Aurora, they needed a walk, try to clear their heads. You know, you might want to have a word with Flora."

"Oh?" Emmy asked. "Why's that? Is something wrong?"

"Well," Brenda began. "Flora seemed very upset earlier, when the kids came home. Actually, they all seemed very upset at the thought of you all being in danger without her. She hates the idea of not knowing where you are, or what's happening, and frankly, I don't like it either. I'm just glad that you made Luke stay out of these encounters with beasts. God only knows how worried I was about Luke when he was encountering the spectre in Misthallery."

"Well, we are certain that these beasts are real, and I could never put Luke in such danger, nor Flora," the professor said. "I shall talk to Flora later, and see exactly what the matter is."

"Let me," Emmy said firmly. "I need to bond more with Flora anyway; we hardly talk anymore, what with the resistance watch and everything else."

"Alright," the professor said.

"And Luke." Brenda trailed off. "He feels so useless, what with not being allowed to take part in the watch, and all the rest of it. I think sitting around doing nothing is hurting him a lot."

"Well, he may feel useless right now, but I will need Luke's assistance when I am deducing Vaughan's motives, how Vaughan intends to steal the artefacts, and everything else," the professor explained. "Luke will most certainly be using his investigative talents in the not-so-distant future."

"Good," Brenda smiled. "So long as it's behind the scenes and he's out of danger."

"Of course," the professor smiled as the front door opened.

Luke, Flora and Aurora trailed in, looking sour.

Emmy nudged Luke. "Don't frown. You'll get wrinkles, just like Uncle Leon." She smiled at him. Luke ignored her. He stared at the ground sullenly. Emmy frowned. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"I want to help... with the resistance. We all do, me and Flora and Aurora, and the Van De Garde's, but we're not allowed to. No one ever tells us what's going on. We're completely in the dark about what's happening. When will we get to do something about this?"

Emmy patted Luke on the back. "Soon," she promised. She turned and caught the professor's eye. He winked. "Actually, right now." Emmy steered him and the two girls towards the sofa.

"What are we doing?" Luke asked, perking up a bit.

"Deducting," Emmy said firmly, sitting on the arm of the chair. She turned to the professor. "So, where do we begin?"

Luke and Flora eagerly pulled out notebooks and pens and prepared to start jotting down information. The professor smiled.

"Well, I believe we should start at the start."

"Vaughan sent us letters, demanding that we tell him where Emmy was," Luke said. "But we didn't know where she was. He kept threatening to hurt people, and every time we went to the police—"

"—we were met with resistance and threats of violence," Brenda finished.

"But we deduced that Vaughan wanted to have the image of a psycho, so that no one would stand in his way," Flora said.

"And that he only did what he did to get to Emmy, not to threaten Luke into giving away Emmy's actual location," Brenda added.

"It worked," Emmy said. The professor stood up and put an arm around her.

"So, he only wanted to look evil to scare us away," Luke said thoughtfully. "Well, that was never going to work."

"Hmm..." the professor was deep in thought about that last comment. "You're right, Luke. I believe that those actions were also a test, for me."

"For you?" Emmy asked. "Why would Vaughan want to test you?"

"I believe he knew that you were an old acquaintance of mine, and that in hard times, you would call me for help," the professor explained. "He must know that you are friends with Luke, and that he would do the same. He knows that, one way or another, I will get involved in this situation."

"But how?" Luke asked. "How could he have gotten that information?"

"Well, the professor has made the papers quite a few times, solving mysteries and whatnot," Emmy replied. "I suppose all Vaughan had to do was ensure that he had the right Emmy Altava, and then whoever else was mentioned, he could manipulate. He must have seen your name in the papers too, and your picture."

"And with that, he put two and two together..." Flora said.

"And he tracked you down and proceeded to threaten you to lure Emmy out." Brenda smiled. "It all makes sense now!"

The professor smiled. "Indeed!"

"But I still have lots more questions about Vaughan," Luke frowned, flicking back a few pages in his notebook. "Here, I made a list. Question one is ticked off, because you already answered it, Professor." Luke smiled as he ticked this one off of the list. "Here's question two: how does Vaughan know Emmy?"

"Well, Emmy already told us that Vaughan burned down Emmy's house when she was little," Flora said. She looked at Emmy uncertainly.

"Its okay, Flora," Emmy said, forcing a smile on her face. "I can handle it."

"Do you want to leave the room for a moment?" the professor asked, taking her hand.

"Erm..." Emmy nodded. "I don't want to cry all over anyone." She got up and left.

Luke stared after her. "Well, Vaughan killed her mother and brother in that fire, didn't he?"

"Yes," the professor said. "Vaughan was sent by Targent to manipulate Emmy's father. He was an archaeologist. He obviously knew something about the Azran, be it about the Grounds of Rebirth or something else, and Vaughan had to get that information at all costs. So he burned down Emmy's aunt's place and killed Emmy's mother, Paloma Chovanek, and her brother, Daniel."

"God," Brenda breathed. "I never knew. Poor Emmy..."

"But I don't think that's everything," The professor frowned.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked. "So you think that Emmy's been keeping something from us?"

"I know she is. I asked her if she knew Vaughan from somewhere besides the fire, and she said that he locked her up and beat her—"

"WHAT?!" Luke exclaimed. "She kept that quiet!"

"She didn't want to worry us," the professor explained. He remembered what Vaughan had said:

"_It's all an act so that you will not worry. Believe me, she is deeply unhappy. I only want to help her, but Bronev is the only person standing in the way of that. I need to stop him from taking Emmeline away from me, and you're the only person who can stop him."_

He also remembered what Emmy had said before:

"_I... I know something else, about Vaughan. But... I'm... I'm not ready."_

"She told me that she knew something else about Vaughan, but she wasn't ready to tell me, the Professor said slowly.

"Well, after telling you that, she was probably too upset to want to relive whatever else he's done to her," Brenda said, worry written all over her face. "That's poor girl has been through enough."

"So Vaughan killed half her family and kidnapped her," Luke said, scribbling this down. "And she definitely knows something else. That raises another question: what is that something else?"

"I have a theory, but nothing more," the professor said. "But we really shouldn't speculate on that until Emmy is ready to talk. We don't want to hurt her, do we?"

"No," Flora said, looking upset. "I can't believe all that has happened to Emmy. I hope we get Vaughan soon, before he can do anything else to her."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "Here's another question: Bronev obviously knows more than he's letting on. He's been acting really suspicious lately, and so has Celeste. I heard them whispering before in the hallway, and as soon as they saw that I was there, the stopped. And they were definitely whispering about Bronev keeping something from Emmy. And I think it was something huge, because Bronev was panicking at the thought of telling Emmy."

"At the thought of telling me what?"

Luke jumped and turned around and saw that Emmy was back, standing at the doorway. She didn't look very happy.

"Luke said that he overheard Bronev and Celeste talking in the hallway the other day about Bronev supposedly keeping something from you, the professor said. " Now, I don't know how true this is— Emmy!"

Emmy turned around and walked off. The professor ran to the door and called out to her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to Leon!" she shouted back, slamming the back door behind her.

There was an awkward pause.

"Well done, Luke," Flora said.

"I didn't know she was there!" Luke protested. "And I was only telling you what I saw!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," the professor said, sitting back down. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation later on. "I don't know what Bronev could be keeping from her, though."

"Well, Emmy told me that they were inseparable for years," Brenda said. "It must be from before they met, because he was in prison until very recently."

"Hmm..." the professor thought.

"Do you think... it's about the fire?" Luke asked. "I mean... what else would he want to keep from her?"

"I think you're spot on, my boy," the professor said.

"But what could he possibly know about the fire if he only met Emmy after the fire?" Brenda asked.

The professor paused, deep in thought once more. "I'm not sure..."

* * *

Emmy ran down the street, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of her uncle, or Celeste. She had to know if what the professor had said was true. She spotted her uncle and Celeste walking up the road on the opposite side to her, chatting. Her uncle didn't look happy.

"Right," Emmy said to herself, and she crossed the road. They stopped when she got to the other side.

Bronev forced a fake smile on his face. "Hello, Emmeline. I wasn't expecting you to be out so late. I thought that you would be resting."

"Um... no," Emmy stopped. She was angry with her uncle for supposedly keeping something from her, but she couldn't just bite his head off there and then. She loved him too much to do that, especially in public. She swallowed. "Are you okay, Uncle Leon? You seem a bit... off."

"Oh... I'm alright, Emmeline. Thank you. But you seem a bit off yourself."

"Um..." Emmy took his arm. "Well... I need to talk to you... later."

"About what?" Bronev looked at her.

"I... I told Hershel..." Emmy swallowed. "About Vaughan. When he kidnapped me, I mean. I didn't tell him—"

"I understand," Bronev said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders. "How did he react?"

"He took it quite well, considering. I suppose he had to... I was crying..."

Bronev kissed Emmy's forehead. "When was this?"

"Yesterday, about an hour or so before you arrived."

"I see. Well, at least you're trying to keep Layton in the loop." Bronev smiled.

"He is very suspicious of you, though. And Celeste."

"Well, we knew that from the off, didn't we?" Bronev smiled.

"Luke said that he overheard you and Celeste talking about something you're supposedly keeping from me."

Bronev and Celeste stopped in their tracks. They both froze.

"Did... did he specify?" Bronev choked.

"No," Emmy said. "But I can tell right now that you are. Tell me."

Celeste sighed. "You know that Leon is only trying to protect you—"

"I understand that," Emmy said. "But I need to know what it is, at least before the professor finds out. And he will."

Bronev sighed. "It's Vaughan..."

"What about him?" Emmy asked.

"He is the same person that I saw that day... when Rachel and I were taken away from the boys..."

Emmy covered her mouth. She looked shocked.

So did Celeste.

"WH... why didn't you ever tell me?" Emmy said, choked.

"I didn't want to upset you even more," Bronev said, hugging her tighter. "You're in enough of a state as it is."

"Oh, Uncle Leon..." Emmy sounded on the verge of tears as her face was buried into Bronev's jacket.

"It's alright," Bronev whispered. "You know now. That is all that matters." He kissed her forehead again.

Bronev and Celeste's eyes met. Celeste glared at Bronev. She shook her head. "Bad move, Leon," she thought. "Bad move. That'll only make things ten times harder for you when the time comes that you'll actually have to tell her."

* * *

"... and I have one other question. Why would Vaughan really want the Grounds of Rebirth? Targent is finished. Does he just want to make money off of it or does he actually want to bring someone back?" Luke asked.

"I believe Jai said something about that before, did she not?" Layton asked.

"Yes," Aurora said. "She said that Vaughan wanted to bring back a dead relative or something. I can't really remember..."

"I understand. Neither can I, really. We shall ask her later. Where is she?"

"She passed us on the way back from town, but Sinead was in control," Luke said. "I think she as going for chips... as usual..."

The professor smiled. "I will talk to her when she returns. But it is entirely possible that he holds both of these motives as reasons of why he would do these things."

"Yeah," Flora said. "But Professor, he has spies in the resistance too, doesn't he? Who are they?"

"I'm not sure," the professor said. "There is a distinct possibility that there are several spies in this sector and they have been there since the very beginning, waiting for their chance to strike and steal all of the artefacts, and they are still waiting. We must figure out a way to keep the artefacts from them."

"But Jai says that it is fruitless to stop them from getting hold of the artefacts," Aurora pointed out. "What will we do?"

The professor sighed. "I really don't know," he said. "This entire case has me baffled. This really is a confusing one, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Luke agreed. We still have so many questions that have gone unanswered tonight. How Emmy really knows Vaughan, Bronev keeping things from Emmy, Vaughan's true intentions and those spies... I'm baffled alright."

"Perhaps over time, more clues will emerge that will answer our questions," the professor said. "I believe that our answers will emerge as soon as we get hold of the final artefact. We must speak to Jai and get hold of the artefact as soon as possible."

* * *

Sinead walked up the road back to the estate, her stomach full. She was happy. For now.

Vaughan crept around her vicinity, doing his seventh best to keep behind her and to remain unnoticed by her. Even if Sinead was off guard, Jai would still be present to watch out for him. He had to be careful. He drew out his weapon – the Pulemyot Kalashnikova machine gun – featured in every major conflict since the Vietnam War – made in Russia. It shoots 750 rounds of 54mm bullets – that would be more than enough to kill the girl.

He felt his hands sweat as he held the gun in his hands. He didn't know why he felt like this – it wasn't as though he had never killed before. Although, he didn't particularly like his last experience of murder either. It was that murder which had started the chain reaction that caused this whole situation to occur.

Vaughan shook his head. He was angry at himself for not killing the girl (again). He decided to take the way out he took two months ago – the first time he shot this girl down. She would survive – yet again – but it didn't matter either way. So long as Vaughan got the sword at least. That was all that mattered.

Vaughan quickly and carefully unassembled his PKM and put it back into its case. He pulled out a pistol instead and took careful aim, taking care to only graze the girl, as he did before. He waited until she got to a reasonable distance and pulled the trigger.

This bullet had its desired effect – Sinead was hit in the temple, but only grazed. She fell to the ground as passersby looked on in panic.

Vaughan tore off up the road. "Get out of my way!" he yelled to whoever passed him. He shoved anyone who was in his way and ran up to the girl.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. She looked at him, dazed. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Thank you," he smiled, and he plunged his hand into her pocket and grabbed the sword.

"Oh... no..." Sinead went white and looked incredibly frail as Vaughan ran further away, into a Rolls Royce and sped off in the opposite direction.

Sinead staggered, grabbing onto a nearby fence. She felt her head – she had been grazed again. "I gotta get home," she mumbled faintly, staggering up the road once more.

* * *

"Where is Jai?" Aurora asked worriedly, "She should be here by now."

"I'm not sure, Aurora," Flora replied, also looking worried.

A slight commotion could be eard downstairs. Flora frowned.

"Let's go," she said, getting up and heading downstairs.

* * *

Aurora was about halfway down when she caught sight of Sinead's bloody head. Sinead looked at her guiltily.

"The sword... it's been stolen," she said, close to tears. "Jai... she's gonna kill me when she gets back."


	30. Panic

Chapter 29 – Panic

Jai awoke with a start from her recurring nightmare. She was shaking. She knew that soon enough, if she didn't get the artefact back, that nightmare would become real for many.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Aurora saw this and sat up too. Jai checked the time. It was three in the morning. Aurora sighed.

"Jai?"

Jai didn't reply. She began to get dressed.

"Jai?" Aurora asked again as Jai pulled on Sinead's shoes. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Jai got up and opened the window. "I'll be back this afternoon." She climbed out and climbed down the guttering, landing on the ground. She ran off.

Aurora sighed again. "I had better tell the professor," she thought, getting up.

* * *

The professor stroked Emmy's hair as he sat down on the floor, beside where she was sleeping on the sofa. He looked over at Bronev, who was laying there on his mattress, still wide awake. He was just as worried as anyone else, and considering how Vaughan had a growing obsession with his niece, he had every right to be, in the professor's opinion.

Emmy stirred in her sleep, mumbling something that the professor couldn't quite make out. The Professor stroked her cheek gently, murmuring words of comfort to her. "It's alright, dear," he said softly. "I'm here. Don't worry."

Emmy had had a bad evening. She broke down in tears as soon as she heard about Vaughan stealing the artefact and shooting Sinead – again. She was terrified of what was to come.

This only made the professor suspect even more that Emmy was still hiding a lot of things from him. He needed her to open up fully, to tell him absolutely everything she knew. He needed more information to finally put some closure on this case, for everyone's sake.

The professor looked over at Bronev, who was staring over at the corner of the room. He didn't know what to do about Bronev. Jai had clarified that he was not a spy for Vaughan, yet the professor had a sneaking suspicion that he was definitely hiding something. Luke had said that he and Celeste were definitely keeping something from Emmy, something big. The professor suspected that it had something to do with Vaughan.

"Professor."

The professor turned around to see Aurora staring back at him. She looked worried.

"What is it, my dear?" the professor whispered.

"It's Jai. She's gone. She left a moment ago. I do not know where she went."

"She didn't say anything?" the professor asked.

"No."

"I'll go," Bronev said, grabbing his clothes and sloping off out the door to get dressed.

"I am worried about Jai," Aurora said, kneeling on the floor beside the professor.

"Why is that, my dear?" the professor asked gently.

"I think all of these happenings to do with the Grounds of Rebirth are too much for her."

"Well, she never said anything to anyone else about it. Did she say anything to you?" the Professor asked.

"No, but I can tell. She was mumbling in her sleep three nights ago, something about something called the Hilden," Aurora said. "She wasn't very clear. She mentioned the sword. I don't think she meant to say anything, but her bottling everything up is having a bad effect on her body, and that means it could affect Sinead too."

"Do you think she is keeping something from us?" the professor asked. "She wouldn't be the only one," he thought.

"Most definitely. She knows a lot more about the Grounds of Rebirth than we do."

"She knows what happens if we use the Grounds of Rebirth, yes," the professor said. "Do you know?"

"Yes," Aurora said, swallowing. She looked upset. "But ... it's very... horrific. It... It is difficult to explain. The body you bury there will indeed come back to life, but... the person can never come back. Their soul moves on. But the body... the soul that was once in there is replaced with a darker soul. A bad soul. This soul has dark powers, and it has the potential to destroy the entire world if the body gets out of the Grounds of Rebirth. That is what Jai means when she says that we can prevent some of the damage caused by the Grounds of Rebirth." Aurora paused as Bronev slammed the front door behind him.

"So, if Vaughan tries to bring someone back—" the professor began.

"Then he will bring back a darkness soul who will try to destroy us all," Aurora finished. "Yes."

"Why are these souls bad, may I ask?" the professor said. "Was something done to upset them?"

"They were created that way. When souls are created, sometimes mistakes are made and goodness is left out. They cannot think, or feel, or reason. All they can do is destroy. It is not their fault, really, but they can cause unspeakable damage to people. Like Jai."

"Jai had experience with the Grounds of Rebirth?" the professor asked.

"Yes," Aurora said. "She won't tell me what, though, but I can tell that she had an experience with the grounds, just by the way she speaks about them. It pains her to talk about them. She wants them gone, for good. She doesn't want to o this anymore."

"You mean she has had this experience before?" the professor asked.

"Yes. She came back when the Azran used them and the civilisation before them and so on. The grounds are cursed, and it is her duty to protect us from the ground's wrath."

"But why? Who chose Jai to do this?"

"I do not know," Aurora said. "I think she volunteered."

"She—" the professor stopped as he felt Emmy move. He stroked her air again.

"... Hershel..."

"I'm here," the professor soothed. "Don't worry." He wrapped his arms around Emmy. She smiled and opened her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked.

The professor checked his watch. "A quarter past three in the morning."

Emmy frowned. "Then why are you here?"

The professor smiled at her. "I couldn't sleep. And I wanted to keep an eye on you." He winked.

Emmy smiled. She looked over at Bronev's empty mattress. "Where's Uncle Leon?"

"He went after Jai. She went out for an unknown reason. Again."

"So she's done this before?" Emmy asked.

"Once," Aurora said. "When she was rescuing you."

"So, she wants to get the sword back?" Emmy asked. "Shouldn't we all go?"

"I think Bronev just wants to bring Jai back and wait until the morning before we decide to do anything major," the professor replied. "It is rather late now, even by Vaughan's standards."

"Yeah." Emmy laid back down again, her eyes strained. The professor stroked her hair.

"You go back to sleep, dear. I think I'll go too." The professor kissed her mouth, which she returned. The professor then turned to Aurora.

"Do try not to worry about Jai. She can't have gone too far and Bronev has probably already caught up with her by now."

* * *

Jai followed silently, as the group of armed men strolled down the road, the sword up in the air and the beam pointing due north-west.

"It can't be too far, can it?" one of the men asked. "I can't even get a signal on my phone from far away, let alone this sword thing."

Jai snorted.

"I agree," another said. "We must be pretty close now. What do you think Vlad?"

Jai stopped. _**Vlad...**_ she had heard that name before...

"I think you're wrong, and that you should keep walking. The farther we walk now, the less we will have to do tomorrow," Vladimir replied, looking around.

Jai felt someone tap on her shoulder and spun around. Bronev stood tall and stared her in the face. Jai turned back to the group of men.

"Don't worry about Vladimir," Bronev whispered. "He's with me. He'll help us get the sword back."

"Right." Jai looked on as Vladimir took the sword from the first man and held it up.

The beam pointed out in the direction of the school, which was now only just visible in the distance by the tips of the high Gaelic football goalposts in the pitch. Jai knew immediately where the fourth artefact lay. She turned to Bronev.

"I know the location of the fourth artefact," she said, making Bronev look surprised. "It wasn't supposed to be shown by the sword until the other three idols were killed at the hand of the sword, and now that they are, the location has been revealed. It is in a chamber below the one I found the sword in the first day. But these three don't know that. We must retrieve the sword and get the fourth artefact. You say that this Vladimir person works for you. What is your plan to get the sword past the other two?"

"One of those men I presume to be a well placed spy that I positioned myself over the phone a couple of hours ago. They should get the artefact for us any time now."

And sure enough, they did.

"Don, now!" Vladimir cried.

The second man kicked the first in the gut. He collapsed to the floor, gasping in pain. He then did something very strange. He grabbed at the top of his hairline and pulled, hard.

The mask came off and Don Paolo stood there, breathing deeply. " Sweet air!" he breathed. "I could hardly breathe in that mask. What'll we do with this one?" he asked, pointing to the man on the ground.

Bronev stepped out from the shadows. "Bring him back to Triton's house," he said. "We need to question him about where his loyalties lie."

Vladimir and Don Paolo picked him up and carried him to a car that was hidden in some nearby bushes.

Jai squinted at the man and her eyes widened. She recognised him. She had seen him speak to Emmy and the professor many times before. Jai had thought that she may definitely be able to rule him out of being a spy, but she was obviously wrong.

"Is that—" she began.

"Yes," Bronev said gravely. "We need to question him, and see how many other spies there are. I don't trust anyone else after this discovery. Not anymore."


	31. Spy

Chapter 30 – Spy

Emmy's eyes fluttered open again as the front door banged open. She heard her uncle whisper urgently for whoever was with him to keep the noise down. Emmy sat up and listened.

"Keep it down! Don't you think you've caused enough damage without waking everyone up and all?" a gruff voice said sharply.

"It doesn't matter. We'll be waking everyone and getting a few others over here as well for this one's little confession," replied a voice that Emmy recognised as her uncle's. "Set him down on the table. Don't bother restraining him. He won't be going anywhere, especially not when I get his wife over here."

"What!" Emmy heard a panic-stricken voice and someone being dragged into the kitchen. "You can't tell her! Please don't tell her! She'll leave me!"

"You really should have thought about that sooner," Bronev said coldly. "Now keep it down. My Emmeline is sleeping in the living room, although I doubt she is now after your little performance." Emmy heard him sigh as he made his way into the living room.

Emmy sat up properly and faced the door as Bronev entered. He turned on the light and saw that Emmy was awake. He smiled, approaching her.

"Hello, my dear," he soothed, sitting beside her and stroking her hair gently off of her face. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you," Emmy smiled. "What is all the commotion out there? What's happened?"

"We found a spy," Bronev replied. "Your friend Vladimir decided which side he was on after all. He helped us to catch him. He's been spying for us for some time."

"What?" Emmy was surprised. "So, if he's not a spy for Vaughan, then who is?"

"You'll see," Bronev said. "Get dressed and get everyone else down here. I'll call Carla and Celeste. They'll need to know before the rest of the sector do."

"Okay."

Bronev left the room as Emmy grabbed her blouse from on the floor. She started to get dressed, wondering what was about to happen. "Who did this?" she asked herself. "Who's been spying on us for so long that's not Vlad?"

* * *

Celeste tossed and turned. She was having a terrible night's sleep because of the robbery of the sword. She sat up, worried, as the phone rang.

Celeste frowned. "Who on earth would be ringing me at this time of night?" she sighed. "Bronev." She answered it. "Hello?"

"We've found a spy. Get over here now."

"Right you are. I'll be there in half an hour minutes," she replied, hanging up.

* * *

Carla stirred, groaning. Her phone was vibrating loudly – someone was trying to call her. She grabbed it furiously. "What?!" she snapped. She paused as she heard Bronev speaking to her.

"We've found a spy. Antonio is already here. Come quickly. No doubt you will have questions that need to be answered."

"Right," Carla said firmly, getting up and grabbing her shirt. "I'm on my way." She hung up.

* * *

Stacey groaned as her phone rang. She answered it. Carla was grinning on the other end.

"You'd better have a really good reason for ringing me up at the dead of night!" Stacey snapped irritably – she wasn't a morning person.

"It's four in the morning. I'll bet Jai is already up hours ago," Carla laughed. "Anyway, Bronev woke me up a few minutes ago. Apparently they've found a spy, and I'll bet anything that it was that Andrea person you hang around with. Her or Monica."

"You leave Monica out of this!" Stacey snarled angrily. "She can't be it! She's right—"

Stacey stopped as she happened upon Monica's empty bed. The bed hadn't even been slept in.

"Stacey?" Carla asked, still laughing.

"... Shit."

* * *

"Well? What of the situation?" Vaughan asked coolly.

"Agent D has been caught. Is cover has been blown, sir."

"How?" Vaughan asked sharply.

"He was looking for the fourth artefact with the others, when apparently they turned on him. They were on the resistance side all along, spying and waiting for their moment to strike when we got the artefacts and sword."

"Who are these people? Which agents?"

"Er... Agent P and Agent I, sir."

"Vaughan sighed. " Well, there's nothing can be done yet, then. We wil have to call on further allies to arrange a watch over the artefacts, so that they can swap them for the fakes. Arrange for this immediately."

"Yes, sir." The young lady walked off.

"It's not over yet, Bronev," Vaughan snarled under his breath. "Not until Emmeline knows the truth."

* * *

Celeste walked into the entrance to the estate, when she bumped into Carla. "Hello, my dear," Celeste smiled. "No Antonio?"

"He's already there. He must have been helping with the capture," Carla replied. "What about Desmond and Raymond? Are they coming?"

"No, apparently not," Celeste frowned. "I asked them before I came here over the phone, but they said that they were a little tied up at that moment, but they will be along later."

"Weird..." Carla said. "Perhaps they really were tied up... maybe Leon tied them up because they were the spies and he didn't want them to get away."

"We certainly can't rule out that possibility," Celeste agreed as they reached the front door. Celeste knocked.

"I really don't trust them, you know," Carla said. "I think they're hiding something."

"I'm not sure, but whatever you say," Celeste replied as the door opened. Brenda stood at the doorstep, looking incredibly grave.

"Who is it? Who's the spy?" Carla asked.

"I..." Brenda seemed lost for words. "I think you two had better get inside."

Brenda went into the kitchen. Carla and Celeste looked at each other and entered.

Questions ran through their minds as they walked down the hall. "Who is it? Is it Desmond? Raymond? Andrea? Monica? God forbid... Emmy?" they entered. Carla looked confused.

There was no one tied up, prepared for their interrogation like she had expected. She thought that would be more of Bronev's style, terrify the answers out of them. But it just seemed like a regular resistance meeting – bar the fact that it was half past four in the morning, that is.

Carla took a seat next to her husband silently, taking his hand and squeezing it as she waited in anticipation for the spy to be revealed.

Bronev sat across the table from her with Emmy next to him and the professor beside her. He looked – well – angry isn't really a strong enough word to describe how he looked. Emmy looked – well, shocked isn't really the best word to describe how she looked. The professor sat, with a look on his face that suggested that he was at a complete loss. And he was.

"Why?" he thought. "I was so sure that he was on our side. The way he was with everyone – always laughing, joking, smiling – what would make him do something like this? Moreover, why didn't I see through this?"

Emmy sat in her shocked state of mind, wondering what was going to happen. How she would react, what would happen to him... why he did what he did. "He's my friend... one of the best friends I've ever known. He's been there for me so much in the past, and I've been there for him... why would he turn on us? His friends?"

"Explain." This single word was uttered by Bronev, who looked down at the floor. He was beyond anger. He was disgusted. And he wanted an explanation.

No one else said a word. Bronev waited a few moments, but nothing was said. His blood boiled. "He has the nerve to sit there silently after he betrays us like this..."

Bronev shot to his feet and slammed his fist against the table in an outburst of pure rage, making everyone else in the room jump. "EXPLAIN! TELL US WHY!" He glared at the new-found opposition, anger pumping through his veins faster than a heartbeat, his heart racing.

Still nothing. Celeste looked at Bronev, and then tried to follow his gaze. When her eyes landed on the spy, she could hardly suppress an audible gasp.

"TELL US ANTONIO!"


	32. Revelations

Chapter 31 – Revelations

Carla froze. All other things that were said were blocked out by her thoughts. She couldn't hear, or think. She stopped in pure shock.

After a moment or two, a question came to mind; WHY?

Why did he betray her and the resistance like this?

After everything they had been through because of Vaughan, Vaughan burning down her house, Vaughan killing her mother, Vaughan ruining Emmy's life, killing Paloma and Daniel and causing Emmy's father to have a breakdown and run off leaving Emmy alone and isolated, Vaughan kidnapping Emmy _**twice**_ and traumatising her to the point where she needed drugs o keep her calm.

After Vaughan attacked that poor girl and disrupted several lives.

After Aldaz and Xavier were forced to grow up without parents because Vaughan killed their mother and turned their father into a monster.

Carla thought that, of all people, Antonio would understand.

Carla thought Antonio would be there for her always, that she could trust him with her life.

Just like he promised on their wedding day.

_**I was wrong...**_

She started shaking. In an instant, it was all gone. Her trust, loyalty, even her love for him was gone.

All gone.

Emmy looked at Carla's pale shaking face. She felt something tug at her heartstrings. Her poor cousin sat there, betrayed, as Bronev roared at the man who had caused all of this upset. No one else said a word. Bronev yelled at the man viciously, taking out every last bit of anger and resentment on the shaking, crying man before him.

Emmy stood up and held Carla around her shoulders. She beckoned for her to get up and quietly led her out of the room; Bronev's shouting becoming more and more distant as the ascended the stairs. Emmy led Carla to the spare room, where Flora and Aurora were sat on the bed and Jai at the window, deciding to let Bronev handle Antonio. She was tired.

Carla couldn't look at anyone. Emmy sat her down on the bed and hugged her tightly. Carla was shaking even more at this. She struggled to keep her sobs in. She couldn't. She had to let go.

Brenda and Celeste appeared at the door, saddened by the sight of Carla's tears. They were accompanied by Tori, Carla's sister. Carla looked up. Tori smiled. "It's okay," she soothed. "Brenda called me."

No one said anything as Carla wailed despairingly into Emmy's shoulder. Tori walked over and sat down beside Carla and hugged her from the other side. She started to murmur words of comfort. "It's alright. You're allowed to cry. Everything will be okay. There's bound to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. There has to be."

Flora nodded. "Antonio is a good guy. It must be Vaughan, he must have blackmailed him. It has to be..."

"That is what he does."

Carla stopped crying and turned to the latest speaker. Jai stared back at her.

"Vaughan will hurt as many people and destroy as many lives as it takes until he gets his way."

"THEN WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Carla screamed. "YOU! ALL YOU EVER SAY IS THAT IT'S HOPELESS AND THAT WE CAN'T STOP HIM! HE'S RUINED OUR LIVES – ME AND EMMY AND THE BOYS – AND FOR WHAT?! FOR ALL THIS SHIT!" she stood up, shaking even more. Emmy stood up too and tried to get her to sit down again.

Jai didn't say anything while Carla had screamed at her. She didn't move of show any kind of emotion. She didn't even flinch, when everyone else in the room certainly did.

"Things will work out," Jai said calmly. Flora is right. Hear Antonio out. Let him speak. He has a good reason, I believe. I can see it in his soul. I did when he was born, and I see it now. He is a good person, a kind person, the same good person you fell in love with. He was manipulated by Vaughan, as many people have been. But Vaughan is not the only manipulator here, you know as well as I do."

"Papa..." Carla trailed off.

"That's right. Eli Van De Garde is working with Vaughan, as you very well know. I believe he has something to do with this."

"Maybe... maybe he made a deal with Vaughan. Uncle Eli, I mean," Emmy said. "Maybe Vaughan agreed to bring back Juanita for him if he co-operated."

"That is possible, maybe even probable given the circumstances," Jai said.

"What does it matter?" Carla cried. "You said it's hopeless!"

"It is hopeless to prevent the use of the Grounds of Rebirth, yes," Jai reminded her. "But the damage caused by it can be controlled. That is out aim. Hold Vaughan off as long as possible until we know exactly what we're up against, and when the time comes, prevent all the damage we can."

"But –"

"All of your questions will be answered in the end. All of them. I promise." Jai sat next to Carla and took her hand. "You are right. Many lives have been ruined by Vaughan, and the Grounds of Rebirth. But there is something that you all must understand."

"What?" Brenda asked.

"Vaughan is influenced by the allure of the Grounds of Rebirth. Everyone who is on his side is. That is what the grounds do to people. It changes them and makes them do things that they never usually would. Not just to the dead, but also the living. Trust me... I know..." Jai looked sad.

Emmy sighed. Aurora had said earlier that Jai had had a terrible experience with the Grounds of Rebirth. Emmy didn't know if this was the right time to ask. But... what other choice did she have? She needed to know exactly what the grounds did, and, by the sounds of it, if anyone knew, Jai did.

"Jai..." Emmy trailed off. "Did... did something happen to you... with the Grounds of Rebirth? When... when you were first alive?"

Jai sighed gravely. Everyone else in the room sat up straighter and Carla stopped crying. Even Luke, who had been hovering outside the door, entered the room and sat on Emmy's lap, eager to listen. Emmy wrapped her arms around Luke's middle and waited for Jai to reply.

"This whole situation with the Grounds of Rebirth all began with its discovery, millennia upon millennia ago. I mean many, many years ago. More years than is humanly possible to count. We were the first civilisation, a race closer to that of the apes than the human form, and yet we were an incredibly intellectual race, as is the case with all races. We made many discoveries, to do with water, earth, air and fire. These four elements were the basis of all of our sciences. We studied them closely to see exactly what purposes we could use them for. We used these four for everything, and I mean everything. It wasn't long before we discovered the artefact, the key to it all, the idol of rebirth. This..." she held up the sword. "Back then, it wasn't as difficult to gain access to the Grounds of Rebirth, but it was yet to be discovered. My people, the Khan, discovered the sword. Another tribe, the Hilden, wished to get hold of the idol of rebirth, to keep the ground's powers for themselves. The Hilden was closer to human form, like you. Our races were divided, humans were the Hilden and apes, or Neanderthals for use of a better word, were the Khan. We despised each other after the discovery of the idol of rebirth. Both tribes had heard the legend of the Grounds of Rebirth, and both wanted to keep their powers for themselves. We were in close competition. We, the Khan, had intellectual skills far more advanced than the Hilden, but the Hilden made up for their lack of intellect with their strength. They were far stronger than the Khan. I suppose that is ultimately what led to our downfall."

"The Khan fell?" Luke asked. "Just like the Azran?"

"Yes," Jai said. "Otherwise we would still be here. We were beaten badly by the Hilden. That is why no more Neanderthals remain. The Hilden killed them all." Jai looked sad.

"That's why you hate us?" Carla asked, tears still in her eyes. "Because you hate what our ancestors did in the past."

"That is what it is; the past," Jai said simply. "I do not hate anyone on this earth. I have no right to hate a race for the mistakes my by their ancestors. After all, my tribe made plenty of mistakes to match that." Jai smiled. "Anyway, I had better explain the discovery of the grounds. That began with the discovery of the idol of rebirth. It was uncovered very near to my home. My partner, HaiKhan, found it whilst digging for fuel to burn. He gifted it to me and I watched over it. But I noticed that when I touched it, I felt a strange sensation. I was drawn to a particular area. The location of the Grounds of Rebirth. Eventually, the Hilden caught word of our discovery, and hunted us down. They terrorised us. They attacked often, eventually daily, firing weapons, flaming torches and the like, at our home. Eventually, we had to leave our home and start anew, and we had to do this after a short while when we were at our new home as well. We could not comply with the Hilden's demands, as we would have been letting down the honour of our tribe. We couldn't do that. So we continued to move, after a few months in an area, we would start again, and again, and so on. Until one day, that is..." Jai looked sadder.

"What happened?" Emmy asked. She felt guilty for pressuring Jai into recalling potentially traumatic memories – she certainly didn't like having to do this herself – but she knew that if Jai didn't tell them now while things were still quiet where Vaughan was concerned, Jai would probably never get the chance to talk about it.

"They attacked us while we were moving on one day. We... we were on our raft... they fired at us... my parents... my mate... my ch-children..." a tear dripped silently down Jai's cheek. She blinked angrily and wiped her face. "They were killed by the Hilden as to torture me into handing over the idol."

Everyone sat in a shocked silence. No one knew about this beforehand. Not even Aurora. They all stared at Jai, whose emotions were slowly getting the better of her.

Jai wiped here eyes as tears streamed down her face, images of her dead children and family flashing before her eyes.

Emmy sat down next to Jai and hugged her. Jai shoved her off angrily. She glared.

"Do not act as if you care," she snarled.

"Jai, listen—"

"I need to go." Jai went to the window and opened it.

"Jai, wait—" Brenda began, but Jai climbed out of the window and vanished.

They all stayed silent.

"I... I never knew..." Aurora whispered. "She never said..."

There was a knock on the door and Bronev stuck his head around it. "Antonio needs to explain something," he said.

"I don't want to look at him," Carla snarled.

"Things are not as they seem. You will understand when he tells you," Bronev said, holding out hi9s arm.

Carla stood up and took it. Everyone else followed them down the stairs.

* * *

Antonio sat at the table, his head in his hands and tears pouring down his face. The professor placed a hand on his arm comfortingly. Clark placed a hand on his shoulder.

The others entered and Carla sat opposite Antonio. "Talk," she snarled.

Antonio took a deep breath. "I love you, Carla," he said hoarsely.

"Cut out the crap and get on with it," she snarled back.

Antonio sighed, tears pouring down his face. "Please... don't leave me..."

"Explain it to her," the professor said. "She will find everything a lot easier to understand when she knows the whole truth."

"alright." Antonio sat up and looked Carla in the eyes. "It... it wasn't my fault. Vaughan... he... he got your dad to side with him, and they were both blackmailing me. They... they kidnapped Jorge... they threatened to kill him if I didn't report what happened in the resistance to them. They knew that you would join up after Emmy told you that Vaughan was the opposition."

"They... Jorge?" Carla asked. "Is he okay?"

"I... I don't know baby..." Antonio began to cry again.

"He's fine," the professor reassured them.

They both turned to stare at him. "How do you know that?" Carla asked.

"Hang on... Jorge? He's... a relative of yours" Celeste asked.

"How do you know my brother?" Antonio asked, wiping his eyes.

"Well, I believe that this proves my theory," the professor smiled. "Allow me to explain." The Professor got up and began to pace the room. "Antonio was forced into spying on the resistance under the threat of his brother's life. But his brother was, in fact, not with Vaughan. He was, but not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Emmy asked.

"Vaughan roped Jorge into making his appearance that night you were kidnapped, Emmy. After we all ran after the person we perceived to be you, Bronev revealed "Vaughan to in fact be Jorge in disguise. He was blackmailed by Vaughan, as Vaughan said that he would harm Carla and Antonio if he refused to comply with his demands. Bronev and Celeste out him into witness protection after that night. Antonio and Carla arrived that same night, to rescue Emmy. While Carla was in the hospital with Emmy and the two boys were sleeping, Antonio received a phone call from Vaughan. You see, Antonio had no idea that Jorge had been put into witness protection. All he knew was that Jorge had been missing for over a week while he was being forced into doing Vaughan's dirty work. Vaughan told Antonio that Jorge had been kidnapped and was held hostage, and blackmailed him into spying for the resistance that way.

"What?!" Antonio exclaimed, half furious at being deceived, but half relieved. "I- he- Jorge's alright?"

"He's in a guest house in Wicklow, far away from the danger," Celeste smiled. "He's fine."

Antonio and Carla breathed a sigh of relief. "I... I thought..."

"That's right. You were told by a fellow spy that Jorge was in terrible danger where he was, held hostage and being tortured. But he wasn't. It was this fellow spy that made it all so convincing for you, Antonio."

Antonio looked angrily down at his shoes.

"That's right. You're acquaintance and fellow spy betrayed you. This person is responsible for your traitorous actions, not you. You see, this person was also under our very noses all along, and this person is really on Vaughan's side. This person blackmailed the De La Vega brothers and passed on information to the anti resistance, betraying all of us, the resistance and her family. Her own flesh and blood. This person, who now stands among us. The true traitor in this room." The professor glared.

Everyone stared in anticipation, waiting for the culprit to be revealed. Carla didn't know what to believe and now suspected every single person in the room.

Antonio knew what was coming. He was satisfied that he was now in the clear. _**"Now she'll pay..."**_

The professor spun around on one heel, facing the true spy and pointed. Everyone else gasped.


	33. Harsh Betrayal

Chapter 32 – Harsh Betrayal

"And that person is you!"

The professor spun around and pointed to the culprit. Everyone gasped.

No one could believe what they were seeing. Especially not Carla.

"Oh, fuck! No! Why didn't I see through this?" she asked herself angrily. "She just turned up out of the blue for no reason! Why didn't I guess?!"

Tori glared back at the professor. Antonio nodded.

"That's the one," he snarled.

"You blackmailed Antonio into doing what he did. You knew full well that Jorge was perfectly safe where he was, in resistance witness protection, and yet you convinced Antonio that he was in mortal peril. Antonio knew that Carla would be beyond angry at his "betrayal" and yet you still continued to force him into spying alongside you."

"You're sick," Carla spat. "You're a sick little brat, you always were. I should've known better."

Tori said nothing. She just glared.

"Well? Explain yourself! Why! Why did you do this?" Bronev demanded. "We were protecting you and your family, and this is how you repay us? Offering valuable information on the resistance to Vaughan on a plate! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" he roared.

"Dad is on Vaughan's side."

Carla scoffed. "Hell, yeah, we all know that. You swore to me that you'd finished with him and his drug addiction. You lied to me, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!"

Tori glared some more. "Vaughan was using dad. I knew it from the very beginning. I suspected it, so I confronted Vaughan and he told me everything. He said he would help me to avenge my mother after dad used her when he got bored of yours."

"YOU BITCH!" Carla screamed. "DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT, EVER!" Carla lunged at Tori, but Emmy grabbed her around the waist and held her back.

"Carla! Don't even bother, the runts not worth it!" Emmy cried, holing tightly onto Carla.

Carla threw herself down into the chair and gave Tori a filthy, repulsed look. "Get out."

"Make me." Tori grinned.

"That can be arranged." Carla stood up again, but Emmy intervened.

"Wha- ow! OW! JESUS CHRIST, EMMY, GET OFF! GET OFF!"

Emmy had grabbed Tori by the hair and was dragging her out of the room. Tori tried to throw Emmy off, but Emmy grabbed her arms and pinned them down. She quickly tackled her into a headlock and held her face-down on the floor.

"Make me," Emmy said calmly, without a trace of an expression on her face.

"Emmy!" the professor ran over and tried to pry Emmy off, but Emmy tightened her grip. Tori cried out in pain.

"JESUS EMMY!"

"Are you going to walk away and never come back?"

"Yes!" Tori gasped, her eyes watering in pain.

Emmy released her from her headlock and dragged her by the scruff of her neck to the front door. She opened it and threw Tori out of the door and onto the hard Tar-Mac. Emmy walked back into the kitchen and sat back down beside Carla as if nothing had happened.

Carla sighed shakily. She had had enough of this. First her husband and now her own sister...

Emmy put an arm around Carla. Carla smiled at her.

Everyone else sat in silence. Antonio stared fearfully at his wife. He had never been this scared of losing someone before. He thought it was all over for him.

"Please don't hate me Carla," he whispered.

Carla said nothing. She couldn't look at him, for fear of breaking down into tears. She buried her face into Emmy's shoulder and remained silent.

"Carla..." Antonio whispered.

"I can't handle you right now... I need time... I think I'll stay here tonight... if that's okay..."

"Of course," Brenda said gently, placing a hand on Carla's shoulder. "Take as long as you need."

Carla nodded into Emmy's shoulder.

"Take care of the boys for me."

Antonio nodded. He stood up and walked over to Carla. "I did this for us. Because I love you, Carla." He kissed the back of her head. "I'll go for now, but I'll be back in a few days, so you'll have had time to calm down." He opened the back door, but before he left he turned to Celeste. "Make sure Jorge gets moved to a new location," he said.

"Naturally," Celeste said.

Antonio left.

Carla stood up, letting go of Emmy. "I need to go to bed. I'm exhausted. I need sleep."

"C'mon. You take the sofa. I'll share with Hershel for a while."

"Thanks." Emmy and Carla got up and left for the living room.

* * *

Emmy had set about getting a fresh duvet and pillow for Carla when she said, "Thanks, Emmy."

"What for?" Emmy asked, laying out the covers on the sofa.

"For being here for me. For comforting me. For throwing Tori out." Carla smiled. "For yanking her hair and putting her into a headlock. That was priceless."

Emmy grinned back. "A pleasure to be of service."

They both laughed.

"Things... will be okay with Antonio, won't they?" Emmy asked. "It wasn't technically his fault."

"I know. I'm glad. It makes me feel a little better about the whole thing. When I thought he had betrayed on purpose... I thought I'd lost him... but I just need time to process this, and we'll be fine. You're right, it wasn't Antonio's fault."

"He understands that you need time. He'll be patient, I know he will," Emmy said, smiling. "He's a good man, despite everything."

"I know he is," Carla said. "I know."

* * *

Tori walked out of the estate, her knees covered in cuts and scrapes from her harsh fall on the Tar-Mac. She had never been this angry before, and she wanted out of this situation. She looked back to the sound of footsteps. She glared.

"It's over," Antonio said as he approached her. "You can't torment me anymore. It's finished. I'm fully on the resistance side, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Shut up," Tori said through gritted teeth.

"You don't like being beaten, do you? Especially when it's someone bigger and stronger than you, like Emmy? Huh? You didn't like her little headlock did you?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Tori snarled. "You don't understand! None of you do!"

"I understand that what your dad did to your mom was terrible, and wrong, but that doesn't mean that it's okay for yu to terrorise me and Carla like that," Antonio snarled back. "If anyone deserves for you to take all this out on them, it's your dad himself. Not me, not Carla, him. So why don't you go blackmail him and sort your life out, so that I can sort ut mine." Antonio walked away down the road.

Tori glared after him. "None of this is my fault," she snarled under her breath. "If anyone is to blame, really, it's Bronev. If it wasn't for what he did, Vaughan wouldn't be after the grounds in the first place. And as for my mother... well, Vaughan will make sure that dad pays for what he's done. Hell yeah."


	34. Planning on Both Sides

Chapter 33 – Planning on Both Sides.

Emmy awoke to a soft kiss being placed on her lips. She laid there, smiling and enjoying the kiss.

The professor stroked her hair and held her waist as they embraced. They broke apart and the professor smiled at Emmy.

"Good morning," he said gently.

"Morning," Emmy grinned, stroking his cheek.

The professor smiled again and leaned in for another kiss.

"Aaargh, gross, kissing, that is so disgusting!" someone from outside the door cried, cackling.

Emmy rolled her eyes. "Xavier," she said.

The professor smiled. "Kids, eh?"

Emmy smiled at him.

"Mrs. Triton wants you two downstairs for breakfast in five," Xavier called. "And then Jai wants you two to go with her to find the next artefact this afternoon."

"Alright! Give us a minute!" Emmy called, sitting up.

Xavier ran downstairs.

"Right..." Emmy grinned, placing her hands on the professor's chest. "Where were we...?"

The professor grinned back and leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

"So, who's coming this afternoon?" Bronev asked.

"Well, I think we shall need everyone for this particular operation," Jai said. "We are after the fourth artefact, and as soon as we have it, Vaughan's plan to get hold of them for his own purposes will begin. We need to distract him, to lead him in the complete wrong direction. And we will need to be very convincing."

"What do you propose we do?" Bronev asked.

"We need to send one group in the wrong direction, going after the artefact," Jai said. "We will just tell them to keep going in the same direction, and when we have found the real artefact. We will hide it, and the other artefacts and the sword."

"But hide it where?" Luke asked. "And how will we pull off the whole sword thing? A beam of light emits from it, so how will we recreate that?"

"We don't need to recreate it," Jai said. "My plan is simple."

"You have a plan?" Emmy asked, joining the group in the kitchen along with the professor.

"Yes," Jai said, "But you must listen to me very carefully. The fourth artefact doesn't need the sword for you to be able to get to it. All you need is the other three artefacts. This means that we can use the sword to lure Vaughan's people away with the sword."

"But how will we get the beam of light to emit without an artefact for it to follow?" Emmy asked. "You said the beam of light points to the nearest artefact."

"Yes. But we do not need to get the beam to emit from it. You see, jus using the sword alone will be enough to lure Vaughan's people away. We need one person to run away with the sword while the rest of you gets the artefact. I think I ought to get the sword and leave with it, while the rest of you goes to get the last artefact. I know it sounds dangerous, but I think this is the best solution to this problem. You may be tempted by the mere touch of the sword."

"But... Antonio held the sword and so did Vladimir last night, and they weren't affected, as far as I know," Bronev pointed out. "Would they not have run off with the sword if they were affected?"

"Yes, they would, but they were wearing gloves last night, and so they did not touch it with their bare skin, so it did not affect them," Jai explained.

"So, you're running away with the sword while we get the artefact?" the professor asked.

"Precisely," Jai said. "I only hope nothing bad happens to any of you."

"Would you mind giving us the run down of what we are to expect the monster to be?" Bronev asked. "So that we might prepare for our journey?"

"Of course. This idol represents the only element of the world that you have left to face – fire."

"So... it's a fire monster?" Emmy asked nervously. "And it will be attacking us?"

"Yes," Jai said. "But you will either have to face a fire monster or be chased down by Vaughan's people whilst trying to resist the urge to use the grounds of rebirth by fighting off darkness souls who will try to possess you to do their bidding. You may choose."

"Er... I think... the fire monster may be the better option here," the professor said. We must bring as few people as necessary, as to not put too many people in danger."

"I'm going if you're going, Hershel," Emmy said firmly.

"As am I," Bronev said, taking Emmy's hand.

"And I will of course be assisting you," Desmond said, "as will Raymond. That will be enough people."

"Ay, master," Raymond replied. "Wherever you go, I will follow."

"That's the plan then," Jai said. "Prepare first aid, as I am sure that you will need it. This next idol is very vicious."

* * *

"Send a troop to keep watch over the resistance sector A1. I have just received a message that they will be looking for the final artefact today," Vaughan said. "get in touch with the remaining spies and tell them to put plan A in action." He smiled.

He hadn't been this excited in years. He was finally going to get the artefacts in his possession. He was finally going to find the grounds of rebirth and claim his prize.

"I'm going to get my family back," he thought. "I'll get Emmeline back. I'll get everything back..."

Vaughan walked over to a computer screen and looked at the screen, which was showing the surveillance for the Beachwood estate. He looked longingly at number twelve, the very house where Emmy resided. He sighed.

"Bronev will pay for keeping her from me," he thought furiously. "He will pay for what he's done to me. I will have my revenge."

* * *

"Are you all ready?" Jai had the sword in hand and was preparing to reveal the direction of their next destination.

The professor nodded. "Go."

Jai held the sword in the air. Everyone frowned at it.

The sword didn't point in any particular direction. It pointed downwards, at an angle.

"...what..." Emmy looked confused. "Why... why is it pointing downwards?"

"Because the artefact is underground," Jai explained. "And it must be many miles underground. It is a cave, of perhaps a subterranean cavern, and we must find the entrance."

"But where could it possibly be?" Luke asked. "I don't think anyone has ever actually found an entrance to any kind of underground place in this town."

"We did," Jai explained. "Aurora and I discovered an underground chamber below your school. That is where we found the sword in the first place."

"So you think that the entrance to this cavern lies in this chamber you found?" the professor asked.

"That is the most likely place I can think of," Jai said. "If there is no other place in which you can enter underground, then that is the most probable place that the artefact, along with the idol, can be."

"Then we must head there post haste," the professor said. "Come along Emmy, Jai. Luke, Flora, Aurora, I think you should all stay here, where you will be safe."

"Actually, Aurora has to come, otherwise we will not be able to get into the chamber," Jai explained.

"Alright, but you two have to stay—" the professor began.

"No!" Luke demanded. "Professor, I have to help! I have accompanied you on every single adventure thus far, encountering extremely dangerous situations, and yet this time, you won't let me come anywhere near! Why?"

"Luke, you don't understand," Emmy said. "This whole situation is far too dangerous for any child, let alone you, Luke. Just trust us."

"I need to help, though!" Luke cried. "Being so useless in a case as important as this one is killing me. How would you feel if you were always told to stay behind, just because you were younger than everyone else?"

"Now you know how I feel, Luke," Flora said sourly.

"None of you understand the true danger of the grounds of rebirth," Jai said. "but you all will be there to witness the wrath, Vaughan will make sure of that. But whatever danger can be prevented must be prevented. That is why you must stay behind."

"But—" Luke began.

"If anything happens to us, we will need you as our back up. If we die out there, we will need you and the others who are staying behind to take over our investigation. You must stay. You will not have any missions for now, but I can promise you that your roll in this will be played later, when we have all of the artefacts. Do you understand?" Jai asked.

"Um... yes."

"Good. We must take our leave. Let's be off."

"We'll see you later, Luke," Emmy smiled, ruffling Luke's hair. The professor clapped him on the back and kissed Flora good bye, and the seven of them left, leaving Luke and Flora standing alone in the driveway.

Luke frowned after them. Flora patted Luke's shoulder.

"Look, Luke. We'll get to help later, like Jai said. But right now, they need our support outside of these missions. We need to be there for them."

"But they really shouldn't be dealing with all of this all on their own. They need back up on the scene, I don't know what Jai is talking about, taking as few people as possible. Wouldn't it make more sense to bring lots of people, so that the more people that they have fighting the beast, the better the chance they have of actually defeating it?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but I think Jai just wants to prevent a lot of people from getting hurt. I think she has a plan for the beast's defeat. She has to." Flora looked worried. "I hope the professor, Emmy and Aurora will be okay. I don't want any of them to get hurt."

"Yeah," Luke sighed. "Me too."

* * *

"Here we are," Jai said as they stopped in the middle of the football pitch. "it was somewhere around here, wasn't it Aurora?"

"Yes, here," Aurora said. I must say the chant." Aurora stepped forward and cleared her throat. "_El neyo me sala colturo von salaies _e_l veto von sekes noltura vol neces von nancalaein."_

As Aurora recited this, the ground began to shake and open up. The professor and co. watched, awestruck, as the ground opened up to reveal a staircase.

"Amazing..." Desmond said.

"It is, isn't it?" a smug voice called from behind them.

They all spun around to face this person. Vaughan and four of his guards faced them. Each guard was armed with AK-47 machine guns.

"Now, if you do as I say, no one will get hurt," Vaughan said calmly. "Give me the sword and the artefacts or my men will open fire."

"Leave them out of this," Jai warned.

"Or what?" one of the guards asked dubiously.

Jai opened her rucksack and pulled out a can of petrol. She held out the open bag to reveal that the artefacts were inside and put the sword in. The doused the bag in petrol and held up a lighter.

"No! Wait!" Vaughan yelled.

"This is between you an me," Jai said calmly, "isn't it?"

"Yes," Vaughan said.

"Tell you're friends here to back off," Jai said.

Vaughan waved his hand and the men retreated.

"Drop the weapons," Jai demanded.

The men's weapons fell to the floor.

Jai glared. "All of them."

Vaughan sighed and pulled a pistol out of his suit jacket. He dropped it onto the floor.

Jai stepped forward and handed out the bag to Vaughan.

"What?" Bronev demanded.

"No! Jai! Don't do it!" Emmy screamed,

Vaughan smiled widely and stepped forward, holding out his hand. He was just about to touch it when Jai pulled it away.

"What are you—"

"Come and get them," Jai smiled, holding them out again.

Vaughan looked furious and lunged for the bag. Jai saw her chance and gave him a roundhouse kick. Her foot made hard contact with Vaughan's teeth and he fell to the floor, groaning. She saw her chance and ran for it while the guards were still trying to contemplate what had happened.

"AARGH! DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GET HER!" Vaughan roared.

The guards tore off after Jai, but forgot to pick up their guns. Vaughan grabbed one and tore off after them, yelling, "WHY AM I CONSTANTLY SURROUNDED BY INCOMPETANCE?"

Bronev smiled. "Hired help these days. Can't be trusted. Trust me, I know."


	35. Descent – Part 1

Chapter 34 – Descent – Part 1.

"We must descend into this chamber," Aurora said. "I think that the entrance to the lower chamber is in there somewhere."

"Right. Then we haven't got a moment to lose," the professor said firmly, taking Emmy's hand. "Let's go."

The all made their way down the steps and into the first chamber. They looked around, but nothing of use could be seen.

"Did you find the sword in this container, Aurora?" Emmy asked, placing a hand on the now empty container that resided in the middle of the room.

"Yes. Jai found it here. Do you see the walls and their inscriptions? They tell us the story of the Azran queen who died and was brought back to life by the Grounds of Rebirth. When she came back, she killed all that she saw and destroyed all that she touched, so her people were forced to kill her for the safety of the people. There are also several warnings that tell us to stay away from the Grounds of Rebirth for that very reason."

"Yes, indeed," Bronev muttered, studying the inscriptions carefully. The professor and Desmond did the same.

"Fascinating," Desmond breathed.

"Indeed," the professor agreed.

"Master! Master, I've found something!"

"What is it, Raymond?" Desmond rushed over with the rest of the group in hot pursuit.

"Well, well, well." Bronev smiled. "This chamber just gets more and more interesting by the minute, doesn't it?"

* * *

Luke threw a lunch box full of sandwiches and a bottle of water into his rucksack. He zipped it shut and threw it onto his back. He left the kitchen and made for the front door before his mother got back from the shop.

"Luke! Wait!"

Luke spun around to find Flora running down the stairs after him.

"Flora, I think you should stay here."

"If you're going, then I'm going too. If you go then who else have I got?

"I'll be back soon, Flora, I promise. And so will the professor and Emmy."

"You can't stop me," Flora said indignantly, following Luke out the door. "If you all get killed, then I have no one else left to live for anyway. I am going, whether you like it or not."

Luke sighed. His mother was due back any minute and he had to hurry before the professor went too far.

"Well... okay. But you have to leave if it gets too dangerous."

"Only if you do," Flora said firmly.

Luke sighed. "... Okay."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jai was running for her life. She tore off down the main street with the petrol-soaked bag in arm containing the sword and the three fake artefacts. She smiled to herself as she ran. Her plan thus far was working perfectly. She reached a roundabout and saw a supermarket across the road. Supervalu. She nodded. "They wouldn't dare make a scene in here, not with the resistance watch just around the corner." Jai nodded to Antonio, Vinnie and Stacey, who were on watch outside the said supermarket armed with PKMs. Jai ran past them and pointed her thumb to the gang running after her and drew her finger across her throat, signalling for them to be denied access to the supermarket. Jai ran into the supermarket, pushing past anyone who happened to get in her way. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw that Antonio had halted the group. Jai grinned and ran into a crowd of shoppers, trying to mingle.

* * *

"So, why exactly are you on watch if you're not on the resistance side?" Vinnie asked, frowning. "'cause Monica told me that you were a traitor—"

"Tori was blackmailing me. She was on Vaughan's side all along," Antonio explained. "She told me that Vaughan kidnapped Jorge and threatened his life if I didn't go along with the plan."

"What a bitch," Vinnie spat. "I'm glad that Layton saw through her little plan, though. And that Carla knows what a scumbag her sister really is."

"Yeah. Hey, is that Jai? I think she's trying to tell us something," Stacey said, pointing.

Jai ran towards the shop across from them. She jerked her thumb behind her, pointing to the group of hugs following her and drew her finger across her throat.

"Right," Antonio said. "We've gotta stop those guys. C'mon." And before Vinnie or Stacey could say a word, Antonio took off to greet the thugs.

"That guy has gotta be suicidal," Vinnie huffed, ad he ran over to help Antonio.

"You can go," Stacey said, leaning against a wall. "I choose life."

* * *

"So, this door is the entrance to the next chamber?" Emmy asked.

"Yes," Aurora replied. "We must get it open."

"There's a slot here next to the door, right here," the professor said, pointing. "And there's an engraving above it. What does it say, Aurora?"

"It is a number, 3," Aurora said.

"I think it refers to the third artefact, the water one," Bronev said. "Emmeline, you have that one, hand it over."

Emmy retrieved it from her pocket and handed it to her uncle. He placed it into the slot, but nothing happened.

"What?" Bronev demanded, taking it out. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I think you have to put a specific side in the slot," Aurora explained. "You see, all of the sides have a translation to a specific word, but in the Azran language, there could be at least five or six different words that mean the same thing, but are used in different contexts. We need to figure out which context is needed to open the door."

"But how can we tell which one is needed?" Emmy asked. "There doesn't appear to be any sort of clue in this room."

"Ah!" the professor exclaimed, understanding. "I think that is where you are wrong, Emmy."

"What do you mean?" Emmy asked.

"Aurora, dear, could you translate the entire engraving for us? The one about the queen?"

"Er... alright." Aurora cleared her throat and peered at the script. "Here we go."

She held her hand out and touched it. She script glowed and became a lot more legible.

"_A peaceful and happy time was upon us, the Azran," _she read. _"We had discovered the newest of technology and had made several breakthroughs. We had almost cured all of the diseases that had plagued us. We had created golem prototypes. We were at the highest point we had ever been at, and we knew that things would only get better. That is what we thought._

_But something terrible happened. Our queen passed from this world and we had no one to lead us, as she left no heirs. We were left without rule. She had been ill for some time, and she had died literally moments after a cure for her illness had been discovered. This left our race in a state of mourning."_

"That's awful..." Emmy said.

"_We, the Azran, knew of a legend that told us of the Grounds of Rebirth. These grounds were miracle grounds, where if we buried our dead there, we would never have to mourn another loss, we would live forever. We would be invincible in battle._

_We all set out, every single Azran, every man, woman and child around, in search of the grounds and the idol of rebirth. And we found the idol of rebirth, in a tomb protected by four idols, beasts made of the four elements. Our people fought bravely, many lives were forfeited, but those lives would soon be recovered upon our finding of the grounds. We defeated the beasts and gained our entrance to the grounds._

_The grounds were not the beautiful place that we, the Azran were expecting. They are a drab, dreary place that screams out misery to all that enter them. A large circle of shallow graves surrounds a statue of two battling warriors. We buried our dead and waited._

_A psychological eternity was waited out by our people as each family gathered around its dead, waiting desperately for response. Hours and days were waited out. Until, that is, the fateful moment, the moment that scarred the minds of the hundreds of witnesses present._

_Our queen arose from her shallow grave, and she was greeted by cheers from our people. But as the other bodies of our dead began to re-awaken, the royal servants noticed something strange about their queen. She was not right._

_They looked into her eyes and did not see the strong, dependable leader that left them. Most of them did not live to see anything ever again. The queen's wrath killed them all._

_It was the same with the families of the deceased._

_A young girl, one of the deceased, had a different affect, however. She called herself "Jai of birth and rebirth" and stated that we had to kill the "reborn" people before they killed us. And they did._

_Fewer than ten survivors made it out of the grounds alive, most of whom were servants to the queen. Together, they defeated the "reborn" deceased and prevented any more damage. The bodies of the deceased had to be left in the grounds._

_Jai of birth and rebirth sealed the grounds with an Azran-invented lock and key mechanism, requiring four artefacts, guarded by the idol beasts of the four elements on an island in the centre of our earth. The idol of rebirth was hidden in a chamber that only our emissary is able to open. Hopefully, that day will never come and the deaths of many can be prevented."_

"I..." Bronev did not know what to say. "The queen... she killed all of her servants?"

"Most of them, yes," Aurora said. "Jai made the surviving servants kill her to protect everyone else. She did the same with the families of the deceased warriors."

"Professor, how can this story give us a clue as to how to open this door?" Emmy asked.

"That's right, it does. Aurora, each side has a different symbol on it, and yet they all appear to mean the same thing; to prevent. Is that right?"

Aurora took the artefact and looked at t. "Yes. It has the six different contexts of the verb "prevent"."

"And in the story, the servants and other survivors killed the reborn deceased to protect themselves and the lives of everyone else," the professor said.

"Yes!" Aurora exclaimed. "each side has a different context on it; the general context; to prevent future events, and five specific contexts; to prevent yourself from doing something, to prevent someone else from doing something, to prevent something from happening to someone else in the present, to prevent something from happening to someone in the future, and the actions taken in the past to prevent what could have happened now but didn't."

"Er... what?" Emmy asked, confused.

"At the end of the story, it said, "_Hopefully, that day will never come and the deaths of many can be prevented." _That means that the artefacts were hidden to prevent the deaths of others in the future; one of the specific contexts."

"This side says that," Aurora said, pointing to one of the six sides of the artefact. "Put this side in."

The professor put that side into the slot, and sure enough, the door opened. They heard the entrance close behind them.

"Yes!" a voice cried from behind them.

The professor and Emmy spun around to find Luke and Flora at the door, both grinning.

"Well solved, Professor!" Luke cheered.

"Luke! We said for you two to stay!" Emmy said angrily. "Why are you putting yourself and Flora in danger like this?"

"Because I'm the professor's apprentice, and so far I've done next to nothing to help him in this investigation!" Luke snapped. "I need to do this, I need to help!"

"And if Luke goes, I go too," Flora added.

"Look, we haven't got time for this, if they want to get themselves killed, let them. Let's just press on, shall we?" Bronev snapped, taking the artefact out of its slot making his way out of the newly opened door and down the passage. Desmond and Raymond followed.

Emmy frowned at Luke. "You're in big trouble when you get home."

"What are you going to do?" Luke smiled. "I'm only trying to help!"

"Not me," Emmy grinned. "Your mum."

"Yep," Flora smiled. "You're dead Luke."

Luke sighed. "Yeah. I'm dead alright."


	36. Descent - Part 2

Chapter 35 – Descent – Part 2

Jai walked back up the town, having sneaked out of the supermarket through the window in the ladies room mere minutes before. She was headed for the second entrance to the chamber, the one which could be opened by the sword, and was going to defeat the idol for the professor and his companions so that they could go back to the Triton's place for part two of her plan. They were to meet an agent sent by Celeste to aid them in this part of the plan. The part of the plan which would aid them in stalling Vaughan and throwing him off of the scent – for a while at least. The most crucial part of Jai's plan.

She had almost reached the entrance to the estate and was about to cross the road to the school when she stopped dead in her tracks. Vaughan and his gang of thugs could be seen up ahead. Jai hopped over the wall and slowly approached the group, taking care for the top of her head not to be seen by the group. She leaned against the wall and listened carefully.

"What do we do now, boss?" a thug asked. "The girl's gone with the artefacts and the entrance to the chamber has been sealed off. We have no way of getting to Altava and getting the artefacts."

Jai froze. They were after Emmy as well as the artefacts. Jai would have to use her back up plan to throw the thugs off the scent. She took out Sinead's phone and dialled Celeste's number.

"Celeste. Send the secret agent to meet me at the distillery. Quickly."

* * *

The professor and co. had walked down the corridor which was on the other side of the door and had descended many flights of stairs. They went down in silence, further and further into the cave for what felt like miles, until they reached a door. Aurora reached for the handle, and to everyone's surprise, it opened. They entered the next chamber, which was similar to the last, but with a new set of inscriptions on the walls.

"Right," Luke said firmly. "At least now we know what we have to do."

"Go ahead, Aurora," Desmond said. "Read out the inscriptions on the walls."

Aurora placed a hand on the wall, and the inscriptions lit up, as before. She began to read.

"_Beware all who enter, __Beware all who exit, __For one cannot do so __Without the idol._

_Beware the wrath, __The horror, the pain __Brought on by the powers __Of the Grounds of Rebirth._

_Ever since the dawn of time __Every civilisation suffered, __But your pain can be prevented. __Beware the Grounds of Rebirth._

_Beware."_

"Beware..." the professor muttered. " That was written on the second artefact, was it not?"

"That explains the number 2 written above this slot," Luke said, pointing to a slot next to a door on the opposite side of the room.

"I have that artefact," Bronev said, taking it out of his pocket and handing it to Layton.

The professor took a careful look at it and then turned to Aurora. "Can you translate each side for me?" he asked.

Aurora took the artefact from him. "They each have a different contextual meaning for the word 'beware'. There is a meaning for each tense, the past, the present and the future, and each tense is used for both of the meanings of the word."

"Both meanings?" Emmy asked, confused.

"In Azran, the word beware is used for two different meanings; to beware and to be aware. But I am not sure which meaning is used in this poem."

"Well, I think that there are two logically correct answers to this conundrum," Bronev replied. "I am certain that we need to use the future tense in this, but whether we have to beware or be aware of what lies ahead is what confuses me."

"Well, if we were to simply be aware of it, then the last chamber wouldn't carry a message of the word prevent, would it?" Luke asked, frowning. "I think we should go with beware in the future tense. Right Professor?"

"Right you are! Well deduced, my boy!" the professor smiled, taking the artefact from Aurora, who pointed to the correct side. The professor placed the said side into the slot, and the door opened. "Excellent," he smiled, taking Emmy's arm. "Let's press on."

* * *

Jai checked her watch. It was growing rather late. She wondered where the spy was and when he was going to get there. She sighed.

She saw a black car pull up nearby. The door opened and, as if he had heard her thoughts, the spy himself emerged from the car.

"I assume you are the one that Celeste has sent to aid me in my plan, correct/" Jai asked coldly.

"Indeed I am. And I must say; your planning skills are something of true brilliance."

"May I ask why you agreed to help us in the first place? And at such short notice too?" Jai looked suspicious.

"I am doing this for Professor Layton. He saved my life, not once, but twice now, and I owe him this. I owe my life to him and I will aid you in this plan, for him, even if he is not aware of my involvement in this. That is why I jumped at the chance that Celeste, my doctor, offered me to repay him. And... There is also the fact that I am being released from prison in return for my efforts."

"I see," Jai said. _The usual incentive. Greed. That was the incentive for over fifty per cent of the resistance member's involvement in this. The money; or whatever else they get in return._ Jai was disgusted.

"What do I have to do?" the young man asked.

"Right below us is an entrance to the chamber that Layton and his friends reside," Jai said. "Firstly, I must go down there and get the fourth artefact and the others out of there. Then we must stall Vaughan in his plans with the Grounds of Rebirth. That is where you come in."

"Right," the man said firmly.

"Listen to me very carefully and prepare to do exactly what I say..."


	37. Descent - Part 3

Chapter 36 – Descent – Part 3

"This is it. Door number three," Luke said exhaustedly. They had been walking forever. Luke was glad that they had finally reached the door. Luke pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. They all hurried inside. There was something different about this chamber.

A large statue of a young girl was in the centre of the room with a plaque on the bottom of it, which had an Azran inscription engraved on it. Aurora gasped as she read it.

"What does it say, Aurora?" Flora asked, taking Aurora's hand.

"It's... It's Jai. That statue is of the form Jai took when she helped the Azran."

Everyone stared at the plaque.

"It says Jai. Jai of birth and rebirth."

The professor studied the statue very carefully. The statue was slightly larger than standard human proportion. It depicted a young girl of about ten or eleven years old, by Layton's judgement, who held the same expressionless face as Jai did. The girl did not hold the same physical features as Jai, but it had the same expression as Jai. Seemingly expressionless, but with a hint of despair. The girl had one hand wielded up behind her head and the other was pointing to an inscription on the wall.

Aurora walked over and touched the inscription, and as before, it lit up at her very touch. Aurora read it, but silently this time, mouthing the Azran pronunciation of the words as she read.

Everyone else watched Aurora as she read, all apart from Emmy, who was still studying the statue. She stared at the girl's face, which was tinged with sadness. The statue made Emmy think about Jai. What she had said after they had found out that Antonio had been spying on the resistance. _"They attacked us while we were moving on one day. We... we were on our raft... they fired at us... my parents... my mate... my ch-children... They were killed by the Hilden as to torture me into handing over the idol." _Emmy felt saddened. "Jai's life was ruined by all of this as well as mine and Carla's..." she thought.

"What does the inscription say, Aurora?" Desmond asked.

Aurora said nothing, her face turned away from everyone else. Emmy turned back to them.

"Aurora?" Emmy approached her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

Aurora sniffed, tears pouring down her face.

The others noticed this and gathered around her.

"Aurora?" the professor asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It... it says... awful..." Aurora started to sob. Emmy put her arms around Aurora. Aurora buried her face into Emmy's yellow trench coat as she cried.

"Let me try," Desmond said gently, stepping out in front of Aurora and studying the text carefully. He frowned. "This... is very complex..."

"I'll do it," Bronev said. He began to read the text, as if it were fluent English.

"_if you have come this far, you are fully aware of the consequences that come with the use of the Grounds of Rebirth and are perfectly willing to sacrifice the innocence and even lives of many people for the sake of a legend which tells of the opportunity of raising the dead, which has been proven by previous generations to be wrong. Allow me, Jai of birth and rebirth, to share my experiences of this myth."_

"Jai?" Luke frowned. "She experienced the grounds herself?"

"Yes. She started telling us last night, but she got really upset and ran off," Flora explained.

"_I have been there since the very beginning, as I am from the very first civilisation ever in existence. The idol of rebirth was considered by my people to be a great treasure. This great treasure was, however, a catalyst of many wars and fights over who had the right to possess it. It also aided in the discovery of the Grounds of Rebirth themselves._

_I was the leader of my tribe, the Khan. Our tribe was divided into smaller groups. Our people always travelled in packs to protect each other from the enemy tribe, the Hilden. But this plan eventually failed._

_My pack and I were moving on to a new location in order to protect the idol from falling into the hands of the Hilden. We were on the river, sailing to our new location, but the Hilden caught on to our plan. They fired arrows at us. We were no match for their weaponry and every other member of my pack was killed. Except for me._

_I had possession of the sword, and I eventually had to flee the scene. But the Hilden didn't stop there. They proceeded to hunt down and kill every Khan around, until only I remained. They wiped out my entire race._

_I was the holder of the powers of the Grounds of Rebirth, and I decided to be the first to use it, to resurrect a number of unrelated Khan along with my family and attempt to repopulate the Khan and get revenge for the brutal murder of my people. I used the sword to defeat the four idols, the gods of the elements of the world. After completing this objective, I was awarded passage into the Grounds of Rebirth themselves._

_It was not what I expected. The place was a misery-infested pit of despair, to be putting it lightly. But I did not have time to be lingering on those thoughts. I quickly buried my dead and waited for any kind of response._

_After a few days, I got response. Not the kind I expected._

_My people were not the same people that had left. They were happy, despite their being plagued by the Hilden. They knew what happiness and freedom was, and they felt it. But not anymore._

_Their eyes turned white and they did not talk sense. They only spoke of destruction. They attacked me, their only friend in the world._

_They killed several Hilden, which did not bother me at first, but I knew deep inside that it would not be right to let the ruined forms of my people make another race of people extinct. I worked tirelessly against my will to rekill my own people to save my enemies, for the good of the world in the future._

_After my explanation of the true nature of the grounds, the Hilden agreed to end their reign of terror that they had placed upon me, and we all agreed to live together in peace. I was glad to finally make peace with the Hilden before I was to join my people in the afterlife."_

"So... she killed herself... after everything that had happened to her... I don't blame her..." Emmy said through her tears. Aurora snuggled into her, unable to speak through her own tears. Bronev put an arm around Emmy as he continued to read.

"_The afterlife was not what I expected it to be either. There was a solitary soul, which moved on the other deceased souls to their next life, wiping their memories away and allowing them to start afresh. He recommended that I do the same. But I noticed something odd about him._

_He was tired. So tired. I pitied the poor man, tired of his never ending duty to prevent the darkness souls from entering the material world and from moving the good souls onto their next life. _

_I proposed that he move on at last, have a new life and new memories, and he eventually accepted after much persuasion. He was grateful that his painful duty was finally over, but mine was yet to begin. I changed my name to Jai of birth and rebirth, moving the good souls on to their next life and keeping the darkness souls in their place._

_My experiences will have been suffered in vain if the grounds are used once more. Take heed; rebirth is nothing but a trick. There is no such thing as rebirth."_

* * *

Jai walked down the underground corridor, having left her agent in his post to await further instruction. She walked down her short-cut route to the very door of the idol. She stopped as she heard voices coming from a door on her left. "They must have made it to the chamber of the third artefact," she thought. She ran down the corridor, to the door of the idol, where she would wait for the others and fight the idol for them.

* * *

Behind the door, Layton was deducing which side of the artefact to place in the door.

"... so it is obvious that this side has to go into the slot, as the other side's represent each of the artefacts and the Grounds of Rebirth themselves, whereas this side represents rebirth itself, which is what Jai's story also represents," Layton deducted, placing the said side into the slot.

And, as expected, the door opened. There were two directions that could be taken.

"Which way do we go, Hershel?" Emmy asked, placing one arm in the professor's arm and the other in Bronev's arm.

"This way," a voice called from far down the right hand corridor.

"Jai!" Aurora exclaimed.

"Come! We must hurry!" the professor exclaimed. He ran down the corridor with the others.

They reached Jai, who was standing at a large door.

"Jai! How did you get in here?" Luke asked.

"I walked," Jai said simply.

"What is behind this door?" Desmond asked.

"The fire idol," Jai replied. "The most dangerous idol out of all four of them. That is why I am here. I will defeat this one and we will finally have all four artefacts. Then we will commence with the rest of my plan."

"Which is?" Bronev asked.

"You will see when we get out of here," Jai said. "Are you all ready?"

They nodded.

Jai reached for the door handle and opened the door carefully.

No one expected what happened then. Not even Jai.

As soon as the door opened, flames erupted, sending them all flying across the corridor.

They hit the floor hard. All of them had minor burns on the front side of their bodies, apart from Luke, Flora and Aurora, who were shielded from the worst of the damage by Emmy, Bronev and Desmond.

But Jai took the worst of the damage. Her entire front side was burned to the flesh. But she didn't care. She would kill this idol, even if it were to kill her.

She got to her feet, as though nothing had happened and lunged into the chamber, slamming the door shut behind her. The professor lunged at the door, trying to get it open, but it was no use. He yelled to her.

"JAI! JAI NO!"


	38. The Fire Idol

Chapter 37 – The Fire Idol

"Jai..." Aurora said sadly.

Luke and Flora were in a state of horrified shock. The sight of Jai's burned body plagued their minds.

The professor and Emmy were banging on the door, trying to get it open.

"JAI! JAI OPEN THE DOOR!" Emmy screamed, kicking it as hard as she could, but it still wouldn't budge.

Bronev grabbed Emmy and held her back. "It's no use, Emmeline; you won't get it open; you'll only hurt yourself. Please, Emmeline, if you want to help Jai then you need to calm down."

"What am I supposed to do, leave her in there to burn to death?!" Emmy sobbed. "I'm sorry, Uncle Leon, but that isn't an option!"

The professor was still banging at the door, trying to force it open. He couldn't see anything else that he could do. He felt so helpless, just standing there while Jai could possibly be burning to death. Desmond stepped forward and took the professor by the shoulders.

"Calm down, Layton, we'll find a way in there," Desmond said firmly, pulling the professor back.

"I... I just don't know what else to do," the professor panted.

Luke looked on worriedly while they tried to figure out what to do. He could see that the professor was panicking over what he had just seen, and it scared Luke to see his mentor at such a loss. Flora was in much the same state. Aurora tried to appeal to some sort of Azran power, a kind of sixth sense, to try to see what was happening to Jai. Her eyes were closed as she tried with all her might to figure this out. "Jai..." she thought. " What is happening Jai?" Aurora could see it, a blurred vision of the inside of the chamber, and despite what the others were thinking, however, Jai was doing remarkably well. While the idol (which, as she suspected, came in the form of a giant fireball) was injured by arrows she had fired while it ran out of energy and the flames went out, Jai had managed to clamber onto it's back, despite being critically injured, and she had landed a semi-fatal blow into the back of its head, where its weak point resided. It was now sluggish in its movements, and Jai only had to dodge the flames that were thrown at her and wait for the beast to get tired. But, despite the hardest part of her operation being done, dodging the flames was easier said than done. She had to jump and dive and roll around on the floor at times to manoeuvre out of the way of the idol's flames, and the extensive third degree burns to her front side virtually screamed out in protest as she did this. All the while, she felt like fainting, the pressure of her body because of the damage done by the idol almost overwhelming her mind. Almost.

* * *

Jai rolled across the floor, missing the idol's latest fireball by a mere few inches. She bit her burned lip to prevent herself from crying out – even though she had every right to – and clambered to her feet, readying herself to shoot another arrow and dodge the next one. When she fired her arrow and caught sight of the idol to see that the flames were beginning to die down, she almost smiled, though she could only smile in her mind, s it was physically too painful for her to do so. The flames had almost disappeared as she ran towards it, her arm outstretched with the sword in hand.

But apparently, this idol was much too clever for her. Within a fraction of a second, the idol's flames reappeared. Luckily, Jai had excellent reflexes on her side, and threw herself to the floor as the idol fired another fire ball. While she was on the floor, Jai caught glimpse of a door on the other side of the chamber. And then it clicked. She didn't have to defeat this idol – she merely had to make it to the other side over to the door, grab the artefact and run like hell. Sure, she didn't particularly like the idea of running away, but with her severe injuries and lack of time on her hands, as the spy was waiting for her, then what choice did she have? Jai jumped up to her feet and tried to run around the idol, only to earn another number of fireballs being launched at her. Jai dived out of the way and hit the wall. She looked up to the ceiling, dazed, and saw her escape. Her ticket out of that situation.

She saw a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, completely untouched by the fire idol's wrath, the perfect way to get up and over the idol and into the door. But how to get up there…

She looked at the wall behind her and saw a ladder, leading right up the wall and over the ceiling. _"Well. That's just great. Really clever of me not to see it before," _Jai thought, as she grabbed onto the ladder and started her climb to freedom. She reached the part of the ladder that went over the chandelier and jumped down into it.

The fire idol, luckily for Jai, did not see this, so Jai decided to go one step better than simply running away. She readied her arrow and fired.

It hit the idol square in the centre, making it scream loudly and send flames and fireballs everywhere. But Jai hid inside the chandelier, and the chandelier took all of the damage.

The idol was getting weaker again, so Jai took this opportunity to fire some more arrows in the idol's direction. It screamed louder and louder, fading away more and more by the second, until a little wisp of smoke remained. Jai knew that this was probably a trick, and jumped down onto the floor and ran into the door without a backward glance at the idol.

In this room, she immediately spotted the fourth and final artefact, perched on a pedestal in the very centre of the room, whose walls were covered in ancient Azran manuscript written by the victims of the Grounds of Rebirth, begging the person who was just about to grab the artefact and flee with their lives not to use it. But Jai had a good reason for taking the artefact. She was taking it so that no one else could get to it and use it. Not Vaughan, not anyone else who worked for him in exchange for him letting them use the grounds. And not anyone else that may be lurking behind the scenes, like Jai suspected. Jai grabbed it and went back to the door. She peeked through a gap in the hinge and saw that the idol was re-emerging, slowly but surely. Jai knew that this time, as much as she hated to admit it, she had zero chance of winning a fight against the idol this time. Either the idol had grown stronger or she had grown weaker, and Jai knew that the second option was likelier to be true.

Jai acted fast. She rushed out the door, threw herself onto the floor, slid underneath the idol, much to her discomfort, got back onto her feet and rushed out the other door as quickly as she could. She had to get the others out of there as fast as possible. Jai slammed the door behind her.

* * *

She was greeted by stares as she exited the chamber. Horrified stares, filled with pity and, more evident than that, fear. They were all frightened to have seen by mere glimpse through the door that the idol was still alive. Jai sighed.

"I cannot fight this thing. I am weak. We all need to leave at once, before the idol can get to us. Quickly." Jai began to hobble down the corridor, her adrenaline rush now gone and tiredness overwhelming her.

Aurora stared at Jai as the rest of them followed Jai's lead. Jai was burned to the flesh all down her front side. It was a miracle that she was even speaking, let alone walking. Aurora stared, half in pity, half in admiration at the saviour of the day. The saviour of the month. The saviour of the year, probably. No one had been through more than Jai had that day, and yet no one had been more heroic that day either. Aurora knew that it was this strength that Jai possessed that made her remembered by every civilisation known to man. She knew that it was impossible not to admire such bravery, strength and loyalty to a race that had made her people extinct.

"Aurora?"

Aurora looked up to see that the others were quite a bit ahead f her. Desmond called out to her.

"Aurora, dear, we must leave quickly. The fire idol is probably getting stronger and stronger by the second. Come, now."

Aurora ran to Desmond and the two of them ran to catch up with the group. This was lucky. If they had stayed there a minute or two longer, they would never have made it out at all.

* * *

As they all clambered out of the secret entrance that Jai had entered into, the heard a loud roar of flames echoing from down the corridor. The all looked at each other, worried.

"Meh. None of our concern anymore. We got the artefact, that's all we needed." Bronev slammed the door shut and covered it over with dirt once more.

"Emmy," Jai said suddenly.

Emmy jumped and turned to Jai. "What is it?" she asked gently.

"I have someone waiting for me at the school. I would go myself, but I fear that the state I'm in now may shock them..."

"I understand," Emmy said. She turned to her uncle. "Get her to a hospital or something. She needs urgent medical attention. How she did all that in the chamber, I'll never know."

"We should all go and get checked out," the professor said firmly. "Luke, my boy, you are unharmed, are you not? Go to the school and greet this person for us."

"Right you are Professor!" Luke beamed. "You can count on me."

"Bring the artefacts," Jai croaked. Her condition was worsening and she was now leaning on Aurora for support.

"I'm calling an ambulance," Emmy said firmly, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

Luke took the artefacts from the professor and Jai and threw them into his rucksack. He then ran off in the direction of the school.

"Can I have an ambulance, please?"

* * *

Luke reached the school about five minutes later and waited by the front door, where he would be plainly seen. He was currently in a state of disbelief. He could not believe all that had happened that day. Horrific stories of other people's traumatic pasts, several fiendish puzzles, a giant fire ball and watching his best friends get burned; one to a disgusting degree was pretty heavy material for a thirteen year old. And now, the four most important artefacts ever to face the history of the world lay in his backpack, waiting to presumably be handed over to some secret spy that Luke had probably never even met before and did not trust. Luke sighed, several mixed emotions of shock, terror, doubt and adrenaline-aided excitement running through his mind.

"Luke Triton."

Luke turned around. He recognised that voice. And that face. And those clothes. He was shocked.

"I suppose I should say that it's nice to see you again. You remember me, don't you?"

"Y...yeah..." Luke was lost for words.

"It's me, Clive. Clive Dove."


	39. Burned

Chapter 38 – Burned

"We need to operate as soon as possible."

Several doctors and nurses ran after the trolley as Jai was wheeled down the corridor. They burst into the emergency department. The professor and Emmy were stopped by a pair of doctors who were demanding to know what happened to Jai.

"How did this happen? What caused all of these burns? Hot liquid? Contact with a hot object? A chemical or electrical source? Flames from a fire?"

"The last one," Emmy said, trying to see what the doctors were doing to Jai.

"And how long ago did this happen?"

"About an hour ago, or less," the professor said, looking worried. "It's not too late to treat, is it?"

"Well, that rules out the option of simply bathing her to get rid of the dead skin cells," the doctor replied. "I think we'll have to operate." He turned to the other doctor. "Tell them to prep the table; I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Yes, doctor." She ran off.

"Operate? But... it's not as bad as it looks, is it? I mean, she was fine... she still had a lot of energy... she said that it didn't even hurt..."

"It didn't hurt?" the doctor asked. "That means that it is more serious. The flames have most likely burned through every layer of the skin and reached her nerve endings. That's why she can't feel anything."

"Is... is she going to die?" Emmy sounded choked. The professor placed an arm around her.

"Well, you got her here within the first hour, which is vital. Just by doing that, you have increased her chances some. I think she will need a series of skin grafts and surgery to fix the worst of the burns."

"Her face..." Emmy began to cry. The professor kissed her head, holding her tighter. He couldn't speak. His mind was clouded over with thoughts, remembering what had happened. "I should have stopped her from going in," he thought. "It was my duty to protect them all, and now Jai could die and Emmy, Bronev and Desmond are hurt..."

"Doctor? Can you treat Emmy here? She's hurt as well, and there are two more in the waiting room."

"And what about yourself, sir? I think you may have a first degree burn yourself. This young lady has a second degree, no doubt about that."

The professor held Emmy at arm's length and looked at her burn, which was on her forehead, right below her hairline. He stroked her cheek.

The doctor called over a nurse, who took Emmy's arm. "Come with me, both of you," she said, leading them away from the door of the emergency department.

Inside those doors, the doctors were scrambling around, preparing to operate. The body laid there, unconscious, as both the spirits of Jai and Sinead had decided to retireto the spirit underworld, where there was no burned up body getting in the way of their thoughts. They were both silent. Jai was thinking abut the situation as a whole and trying to figure out answers to her questions. Sinead was beyond anger. She was livid.

"_**you're a fucking idiot, Jai,"**_ she thought furiously. _**"now all I have is a burnt up wreck of a body to go back to, and it's all your fault. I never agreed to let you to burn up my body like how my sister would cremate her bacon. Oh, I hate you."**_ She sighed. Jai heard this and turned to her.

2don't worry," she said. "I have already spiritually contacted Aurora. She has healing powers. She'll fix you tonight, when everyone's asleep. Then we'll commence with part three of the plan. You're doing well so far. Everything will be back to normal soon. We just need to trick Vaughan enough to let Emmy into his lair and find out the truth of her side. Then the Grounds of Rebirth will be revealed for what they truly are and you can go home."

"And how do you pan on revealing the grounds when you're hiding the artefacts from Vaughan?" Sinead asked.

"I need to know that the man has enough fight in him, to test him. You see, I think I know why he seems to want Emmy so much, and the only reason I'm tricking him so much is to test this theory. You see..."

"Jesus," Sinead breathed when Jai had finished explaining her theory. "But what about Bronev? What secret is he keeping?"

"That's the only part I have failed to figure out," Jai replied. "But I have a suspicion that it is huge and has great bearing to the case and Vaughan's involvement."

"Interesting..." Sinead frowned. "Very interesting..."

And they fell silent once more.


	40. Dove

Chapter 39 – Dove

"Luke Triton."

Luke turned around. He recognised that voice. And that face. And those clothes. He was shocked.

"I suppose I should say that it's nice to see you again. You remember me, don't you?"

"Y...yeah..." Luke was lost for words.

"It's me, Clive. Clive Dove."

"I know. I could hardly forget who you are after you pretended to be me, kidnapped Flora and tried to blow us all to kingdom come," Luke said darkly.

"Well, now I'm atoning for that crime," Clive smiled.

Luke looked at him dubiously. "Really now? So you're not a spy on Vaughan's side that he broke out of prison in return for spying? We all know that there are spies in the resistance. And I bet you're one of them."

"Really? Gosh, Luke' I'm hurt," Clive smiled. "I can understand how you may be feeling, but you can trust me."

"Yeah, that's what you said before and we believed you, but we were wrong to, weren't we?"

Clive sighed. "I don't know how I can make you trust me, Luke. All I can say is that I genuinely want to repay the professor for his kindness and for saving me. Twice. Please, just let me tell you about Jai's plan."

Luke sighed. "I'm listening."

"Jai came to me before she went to fight the fire idol, and she told me to meet her here so that she could give me the artefacts."

"WHAT?" Luke exclaimed loudly. "Why?"

"They aren't safe here, what with all the spies and everything, so she wants me to take them away. She has fakes, so she can trick Vaughan into thinking that she will hand them over, but really I will have them all the time. Do you see?"

"Well... yeah... but that's still a huge risk. What if you were a spy, or decided that Vaughan could give you a better offer? Then the artefacts would still be gone."

"Yeah... but she trusts me. And she is right to. I'm on your side," Clive said. "I was angry and confused before, not to mention unwell. I know that is no excuse for putting you all in danger, but that is the reason for it. I'm sorry for what I've done."

His phone beeped. He checked it. "It's Celeste. She wants to know if I'm gone yet."

"Well... before you go, I think you should come back to the house. To say sorry to Flora," he added.

"Er... yes. I think I had better do that. And I want to see the professor in the hospital and see how Jai is doing. I heard someone pass by talking about a girl covered in burns, and I assumed that it was Jai after fighting the fire idol." Clive sent a message to Celeste.

"... Yeah..." Luke trailed off. He didn't like thinking about how much pain Jai must be in.

Clive noticed Luke's traumatised expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "c'mon," he said firmly, taking the rucksack with the artefacts in it off of Luke's back. "Let's go."

* * *

The professor and Emmy were still in the waiting room, waiting for news on Jai's condition. Bronev had gone to the Triton's place to see Celeste, and Desmond and Raymond had gone to tell Andrea of the news about Jai and the getting of the fourth artefact.

Layton and Emmy sat in silence, hand in hand, waiting for any sign of news. Emmy's phone rang.

"Hello?"

Emmy listened as the other person spoke.

"Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." She hung up and turned to the professor.

"Someone called Clive Dove is coming to see you here."

The professor frowned. "Clive? I had no idea that he was here, or even involved in the resistance. He was in prison, last I heard."

"For blowing up London?" Emmy asked. "Luke told me about it when he told me about..." _**"A**__**bout Claire."**_ Emmy omitted this. "... About your last adventure. Luke also said that he kidnapped Flora."

"Yes. But he was unwell at the time, you understand," the professor said.

_**"Yes... yes I do."**_ Emmy sighed.

The professor saw how agitated Emmy was. He put an arm around her. "Everything will be alright," he assured her, squeezing her shoulders. "I'll protect you no matter what happens, and Jai will pull through this. We won't be getting rid of her that easily."

Emmy smiled. "I know. Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek.

Layton smiled and put his arms around her once more. He kissed her lips.

Emmy smiled as he did so. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sat on his lap, kissing him back. She ran her fingers carefully through his hair, trying not to knock off his hat. The professor placed one hand on Emmy's waist and ran the other through her hair, stroking every curl and wave with his nimble fingers. After a minute, the professor drew back for air, but Emmy continued to kiss him, kissing his cheek and working her way down to his neck.

The professor held her close and rested his head on hers. He thought about Emmy. His Emmy. She meant so much to him. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he lost her to anything. And he had a suspicion that something awful would try to tear them apart. He knew full well that Emmy was keeping something huge from him. He had asked her before to tell him, but she got so upset. She had obviously shed so many tears over this, and she had every right to. The professor thought about how Emmy told him of when Vaughan kidnapped her and hit her, and the mere thought of it sent a chill down his spine. The thought of someone harming her sickened him.

But if this secret was even bigger than that, then it had to be a lot worse too. And Emmy would have to be afraid of it harming their relationship to keep it from him, especially for this long. Bronev obviously knew it, as did Celeste. As for anyone else, he wasn't sure. He knew that Emmy had been on medication, and that she would be finished her curse of meds soon. He wondered the extent of the physical damage she had sustained and if the trauma of being kidnapped and the other secret was what caused her to go on the medication. It saddened him to think that Emmy was in deep inner suffering and couldn't even tell him about it.

He had to know what was wrong.

* * *

Luke knocked on the door and waited with Clive in tow as he heard his mother approaching the door. Brenda opened it and grabbed Luke by the arm as soon as she saw he was there.

"Get in here!" she demanded. "What on earth were you thinking? You could've died; you could've been burned alive like poor Jai..."

"I'm sorry, mum!" Luke gasped, his eyes watering at the pain of his mother's tight, pinching grip on his arm. "Please let go!"

Brenda threw her arms around her son's neck. "I've been so worried," she said. "Don't ever do anything like that again."

"Only if you let go of me," Luke choked.

Brenda laughed and let go of him. She smiled at Clive, who hovered awkwardly in the background. "Why don't you come into the kitchen?" she asked politely, leading the way. Clive smiled at Luke and followed Brenda.

Flora and Aurora were sat at the table chatting when the three entered. Flora smiled and looked up to say hi to Luke and ask how his mission went, when she spotted Clive. Her smile faded.

"Hello, Clive," she said coldly.

"Er... hello, Flora." Clive looked nervous.

"I see that you recognised me this time."

"Er... yes."

Flora smiled. "I see that you're easily flustered, as usual."

Clive smiled back, relieved. "So, you don't hate me?"

Flora shook her head and stood up to give him a hug. Clive grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, you're the agent that Luke was sent to meet?" Brenda asked. "You... um..." she didn't know what to say. It was quite an awkward situation for her, what with having to speak to a fully grown man who looked exactly like her son.

"I look like your son?" Clive smiled, letting go of Flora. "Yes, I do. Your Luke is a very good looking lad, you know.

Everyone laughed at this.

"What?" Luke said in mock offense. "I am!"

Brenda smiled and ruffled his hair. "Of course yo are. You get your good looks from your mother."

Flora smiled and turned to Clive. "So what brings you here?" she asked.

Clive sighed. "I want to apologise, Flora, for—"

"Its okay, Clive, I forgive you," Flora said quickly, glancing nervously at Brenda and giving Clive a meaningful look.

"Ah," Clive said, catching on. "Um... I'm glad you do. Forgive me, I mean." He checked his watch. "It's getting late; I really need to see the professor before I head off to do my mission." He turned to leave.

"Will we see you again?" Flora asked.

Clive smiled at her. "Of course. As soon as I've done what I have to do, I will do what I want to do." He tipped his hat to them and walked off.

"I wonder what his mission is?" Flora asked.

Luke stared after him. _**"What are you up to?"**_ Luke thought.

* * *

"It's almost time. I know it. You need to tell her now, or Vaughan will."

Bronev sighed. "She just watched one of her friends get burned alive. She doesn't need this right now. I don't need this."

Celeste sighed. "Well then it looks like Vaughan is going to tell her, because as soon as Jai is fit enough, she is going to talk to Vaughan personally. And everyone in the resistance will be there, not to mention a few from Vaughan's side. Everyone will know what you've done, and it's just not fair that Emmeline will have to find out like that in front of all her friends. And her boyfriend. How do you think Hershel is going to react? For god's sake, Leon, you have to tell them."

"I know," he sighed. "But ... I can't. I can't face her. I can only imagine her face when she finds out. And how she will react. This s going to break her, for good this time, I know it. And she's kept the truth from Layton for so long... who knows how he will react to the truth? What if he leaves her? She'll have lost everything. She'll think that she has lost me, and Layton will leave her – I can't ruin her life like that."

"But she's going to find out anyway," Celeste said. "She should at least know beforehand what Vaughan wil say to her."

Bronev paused. A plan was forming in his head. It was a long shot but... it could work. It worked last time... kind of. But it would spare Emmy from Vaughan's torment at the sit down. The only way that he could ensure that it would work was to tell Layton everything beforehand.

"Perhaps... if Emmeline didn't go..."

"Oh Leon..." Celeste shook her head. "You'll only be prolonging the agony you know..."

"Then so be it," Bronev said firmly. "I can't let her get hurt like that. I'll call him in advance and make sure he knows what to do."

* * *

Emmy was still in the professor's arms, her head rested on his shoulder. They still hadn't been told a thing about Jai's condition. Emmy was exhausted. _**"This has got to be the longest day of my entire life,"**_ she thought tiredly, snuggling into the professor's shoulder. _**"I just want someone to tell me how Jai is so that I can go back to Brenda's place and have a bath..."**_

The professor held Emmy tightly, deep in thought. _**"Why is Clive coming?"**_ he asked himself. _**"What relevance does he bear on this case? The last I heard, he was still in prison. Why did he come here?"**_

"Professor Layton. It's nice to see you again."

The professor and Emmy broke apart. Layton stood up. He smiled.

"Why, it's wonderful to see you too, Clive. What brings you here?"

"I need to speak with you, Professor. And I must see Jai, urgently. I think I had better see Jai first, though. What ward is she in?"

"I think she is currently having skin grafts done for her burns, and surgery. She should be out of it for a while, I'm afraid."

"Wait here." Clive headed for the double doors on the other side of the room.

"Clive! Wait!" the professor called.

"It'll only take a second!" Clive ran off.

Emmy frowned. "What's up with him?" she asked.

The professor frowned. "I'm not sure. It definitely has something to do with the artefacts. He has Luke's bag, which has the artefacts in it."

"Strange..." Emmy said. "I only hope that we can trust this man."

"Yes..." the professor said. " Hopefully we can."

* * *

Clive poked his head in the door, to see that Jai was alone. "Perfect," he said to himself. "This will only take a second." He placed his bag on the floor beside Jai's petrol stained one and swapped the contents of his for the contents of Jai's. He had swapped two of the artefacts the he was interrupted.

"What on earth are you doing in here?" a nurse barked.

"What? Er... I'm her... brother. Yes. I needed to see how she was. And she's... not too good. I see. Well, I should be going. Bye!" Clive ran out.

The nurse stared after him. "What the hell..."

"I'm going in there," the professor said firmly, getting up again to head for the door.

Clive rushed out again, constantly looking around him to make sure that the nurse wasn't following him. The professor cleared his throat.

"Oh! Er... hello, Professor!" Clive said brightly.

"What are you up to, Clive?"

"Why on earth would you think that I am up to something? Honestly, Professor; that is a common stereotype with people who have previously been in prison. Everyone always thinks that they're up to something." Clive smiled.

"Er... you wanted to speak to me?" the professor asked.

"Yes. I came to say thank you. For everything you've done for me in the past. And now I have to go. Goodbye, Professor." Clive ran off.

The professor and Emmy stared after him, very confused. "Okay..."

* * *

"Is everything in place?" Vaughan asked.

"Yes," a woman said. "Clive Dove is in position and he is in possession of the artefacts."

"Excellent," Vaughan smiled. "Then they are as good as mine. And this is all thanks to your ingenious plan. Well done, my dear."

The woman smiled. "Everybody wins in this situation. I get the archaeological find of the millennium, you get everything back, and the only person who will really suffer is Leon Bronev. It's the perfect plan."

"And it is nearly complete," Vaughan said. "I was right to call on the right people – especially Eli Van De Garde. Manipulating his daughter's husband was most useful. He gave me exactly the information I wanted." Vaughan patted a folder next to him.

The woman frowned. "What information is this?"

"See for yourself."

The woman opened the folder and looked at it. She looked up at Vaughan again.

Vaughan was smiling. "I want to know everything about her. Everything that she does. I want _**her**_."

The folder lay open on the table that separated the two, with hundreds of pictures of Emmeline Altava inside.

"I want you, Emmeline Altava," Vaughan breathed. "And, sooner or later, I will get you."


	41. Screw up

Chapter 40 – Screw up

It was ten twenty-five, and Aurora was waiting outside the state for a taxi to the hospital, which Flora had called for her. A few hours ago she had received a mind-message (a message which had arrived to her via a telepathic interception of the mind by another spirit) from Jai stating that she was to be at the hospital at eleven o'clock, as this was the time for the changing of the nurses night shift, and 'work her magic'. Apparently, Jai had gifted Aurora with the ability to heal others, which, in Aurora's opinion, would have been nice to know when Emmy's face was swollen up like a balloon because of Vladimir. But, she knew now, and was raring to test out this newfound ability so that she could put it into practise and be able to help the resistance and the professor even more. The taxi arrived and Aurora got in.

* * *

"Twenty five fifty six, please."

Aurora handed the driver the two twenties that Brenda had given her on her way out the house and left the cab. The entered the front entrance of the hospital and followed the signs that pointed to recovery. She entered the ward and made her way to the top right-hand corner of the room, where there was a bed with curtains drawn around it.

She opened the curtains to find Jai's burned form still laying there, her bloodshot eyes still open. Aurora clenched her stomach. She felt sick.

"Do it," Jai said hoarsely. "Quickly. Please."

"What do I have to do?" Aurora asked anxiously.

"One of the nurses is running me a bath. All you have to do is shed some of your blood into it, and the healing properties will enter the water, and as soon as I have thoroughly washed the wounds, they will have healed completely. Then we must go and see Clive to check if the plan worked or not."

"Alright," Aurora said as a nurse entered.

The nurse frowned at Aurora. "Who are you?" she asked. "Visiting hours ended three hours ago. How did you get past security?"

"There was no one there," Aurora said.

"Aurora has come to see me," Jai said hoarsely, sitting up.

"You lay back down and save your energy," the nurse said.

Jai stared at the nurse. "Aurora will come to my bath and do what she has to do."

"Aurora will come to your bath and do what she has to do," the nurse repeated.

"Then she will stay with me until I am discharged," Jai commanded.

"Then she will stay with me until you are discharged," the nurse repeated.

Jai smiled to herself. "Excellent. Wheel me there; I'm not in the best shape at the minute."

"Alright." The nurse spoke in a monotone as she wheeled Jai away. Aurora followed, looking extremely confused.

* * *

Clive waited at the meeting point, extremely nervous. _**"I've really messed up this time,"**_ he thought. _**"I only switched two of the artefacts. Jai is going to kill me..."**_

A car pulled up and a tall man with brown hair and dark eyes steeped out. The very man Clive had been dreading to see.

"Do you have all of the artefacts?" Vaughan asked coldly.

"Yes," Clive replied, handing him the rucksack.

Vaughan smiled. "Good. You will attend court in three weeks and the judges have been ordered to clear you of all charges. You're a free man, Dove. As free as a... Dove." Vaughan laughed and opened the bag. He took out an artefact and looked at it.

"_**Here we go..."**_ Clive thought anxiously, dreading what was to come.

"Everything appears to be in order here," Vaughan smiled, holding his hand out to Clive.

Clive just about managed to contain his surprise and shook Vaughan's hand.

"I'll see you soon, Clive." Vaughan smiled and walked back to his car.

Clive sighed as the car pulled away. _**"Oh, I'm not a free man, more like a dead man. If Jai doesn't kill me, I know four other people who will..."**_

* * *

Aurora waited patiently, hoping that Jai's theory was correct and that she would emerge fully healed. The nurse left the bathroom, looking very confused. She turned to Aurora. "Where am I?" she asked. "What am I doing?"

"You were just about to see to the other patients while Jai is in her bath, and when she is finished, you will discharge her," Aurora said quickly, remembering the plan.

"Ah... yes..." the nurse walked away and went to check on the other patients.

"Phew!" Aurora was relieved as Jai emerged, thankfully looking like nothing had happened.

"It worked! Yes!" Aurora beamed at Jai, who smiled back.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Jai smiled.

"How did you know that I could do that?" Aurora asked.

"Because when I was in the Azran times, I ensured that they made you that way. You remember the golems that could heal people?"

"Yes," Aurora said, remembering.

"Well, I ensured that some of their genetics were put into your DNA."

"And why did you never tell me that? I could have helped Emmy when she was hurt."

"Well... you never asked. And neither did Emmy, so I never felt the need to divulge such information," Jai smiled. "Besides, we can't have everyone know about our secret weapon, can we? Especially not Vaughan." Jai winked.

They both returned to where Jai's bed was, and picked up the rucksack with the artefacts in it. Jai opened it and removed all of the artefacts. She stared.

"What is it?" Aurora asked.

"Clive only switched two of the artefacts. He has two of the real artefacts in his bag and he has to give them to Vaughan."

"What?" Aurora asked, horrified. "So the plan failed?"

"No."

"But ... Vaughan has half of the artefacts. We messed up."

"No, Clive messed up. But all is not lost."

"But all it will take is one more mistake and Vaughan will have all of the artefacts!" Aurora exclaimed. "And you know what could happen if the Grounds of Rebirth are used – the world could very well end as we know it!"

"Only if we are not there," Jai corrected. "If we are there when the grounds are used, then we can prevent most of the damage, as before. The only reason why the grounds have not taken over the world before is because there were people there to stop the wrath before it got out of control."

"So we have to go with Vaughan when he opens the grounds?"

"Yes. I must open the grounds myself, so that Vaughan will get his own way and will not hurt anyone else. We must speak to Vaughan and arrange to meet."

"You mean—"

"Yes, Aurora," Jai said calmly. "It is time. We must get in touch with Vaughan. We must hold a sit down."

* * *

"Well?" Vaughan asked.

The woman started shaking. It was wrong.

"What?" Vaughan demanded.

"Well... two of these artefacts are... fake."

"No..." Vaughan shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be..."

"It is." The woman looked up at Vaughan. "All is not lost though. We have two of the four. All we have to do is get the other two and the sword and we're there."

"GUARDS!" Vaughan yelled. He would get that little screw up if it was the last thing he did.

"Yes, boss?" one of them asked.

"Get me Clive Dove. Immediately."

"Yes, sir."


	42. The Kidnapping

Chapter 41 – the kidnapping

"How long will we have to wait here?" one of Vaughan's guards asked the other.

"How should I know?" the other grumbled. "The boss only said that Dove would be here because he had nowhere else to go. That's all I know."

The man sighed. "We've been here all night. I wanna get this over with and go home."

"Well, so do I!" the other snapped. "Look, its half past eight. He can't hide in there forever."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

* * *

"So, what happened, Clive?" Emmy asked. "Aurora told me that you only swapped half of the artefacts and that Vaughan actually has two of them because you gave them to him."

"It wasn't my fault," Clive protested as Bronev glared at him. "I was in the middle of swapping them when this nurse came in and kicked me out—"

"There's no harm done," Jai interrupted. "That only means that thus will all be over sooner than expected, is all."

"What do you mean by that?" Bronev asked, trying to sound casual.

"Well, he has half of them, and as Aurora said to me last night, it will only take one more mistake for Vaughan to get the other two and the sword as well. And as I said before, it is inevitable that Vaughan will gain access to the Grounds of Rebirth, but ee have to be there when this happens to prevent more damage happening then there should be. Which is why I have decided to call a sit down with Vaughan o discuss our options."

"What options?" Celeste asked.

"Well, we can explain everything from our side in the hopes that he will stop this charade, but it seems very unlikely that he will do so. But I think a sit down will uncover some answers to questions that you all have."

Emmy looked nervously at Bronev, who returned this glance.

"So when is this happening, then?" Luke asked, picking up his schoolbag.

"I will try to get in touch with him and call the sit down for either this evening or tomorrow," Jai replied. "In the meantime, I need you all to act normal until I tell you what's what. Understood?"

Everyone nodded or replied in agreement to this statement.

"Good. We had all better get on with the normal routine."

"You four had better get to school, then," Emmy said.

"Yeah," Luke sighed. "C'mon Flora, Aurora, Jai."

"We'll catch you up, Luke. I need a word with Aurora," Jai said.

"Alright." Luke and Flora left the room.

Jai and Aurora proceeded to talk in Azran while the professor, Emmy, Clive, Bronev and Brenda finished their breakfast.

* * *

"Hey, look, there 'e is!" the guard exclaimed, pointing at a figure in a blue jacket coming out of number 12.

"That's gotta be him. I'd recognise that face anywhere."

"Let's get 'im."

* * *

"So, what have we got first?" Flora asked. "English," Luke replied. "I'm not looking forward to it, though; I haven't got the homework done. I was too busy all weekend."

"Same here," Flora said. " Still' we've got half an hour to just scribble something down.

"Yeah— UURGGHH!"

"LUKE!" Flora screamed.

"Grab her too!" one of the men ordered.

"NOO!" Flora struggled in the man's grip, as did Luke.

"I've got you now, Dove. And Vaughan isn't gonna be too happy to see you."

"Hey! WAIT! I'M NOT CLIVE, I'M—"

One of the men hit Luke on the back of the head – hard. He was knocked unconscious and the man carried him to the car.

The other man dragged Flora kicking and screaming to the same car.

Aurora and Jai opened the door just in time to see a man drag Flora into the car. Aurora panicked.

"Professor! Come quickly!"


	43. Lemmy to the Rescue

Chapter 42 – Lemmy to the rescue

The professor and Emmy rushed out the door to see the black car pulling out of the drive with Flora inside, screaming for help. Emmy rushed out to the professor's hired car and the professor followed suit. The professor unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat and Emmy into the passenger's seat and they took off without a word to anyone else.

Aurora looked on, scared of what might happen to Flora and Luke. They were her friends and she cared deeply for them. Desmond and Andrea arrived in their car as the professor pulled out of the estate. They got out of the car and approached Aurora, confused.

"What's going on? What happened?" Desmond asked her.

"Luke and Flora have just been kidnapped by some of Vaughan's men," Aurora replied shakily. Andrea placed an arm around her.

"It's alright dear. Does everyone else know?"

Aurora shook her head. "I don't think so."

"We should tell them post haste," Desmond decided. "Come, let's go inside."

* * *

"Why do you think they kidnapped them, Professor?" Emmy asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure as to exactly why, but I have a suspicion," the professor replied. "We know that Vaughan now has a bone to pick with Clive, and you know how much he resembles Luke. I think there may have been a case of mistaken identity here, and they may have taken Flora along as collateral damage."

"We'll get them back," Emmy said determinedly. "Believe me, after all that they've done, they will not get away with this."

The professor smiled at her. Now may not have been the best time to see this, but he saw a spark of the old Emmy he first met. That fiery determination he had seen in her since day one, which had vanished recently in Vaughan's presence.

Vaughan must have done terrible things to Emmy when he kidnapped her. But, now that he thought of it, Emmy had never been kidnapped in all the time that she was with him. Only Vaughan seemed able to kidnap her. This seemed strange to him. _**"Perhaps she knows him better than I thought,"**_ he pondered. _**"Perhaps she even has some sort of emotional attachment to him..."**_

No one had ever had the nerve to even touch Emmy Altava, not in all the time he had known her. Emmy had been known to all those around her to be strong, fierce, independent. She had never needed help before, in fact, quite the contrary. She was always the one doing the helping. Whether she was in the professor's office, making tea and helping him put notes together for his lectures or whether she was chasing down a criminal through the streets of London, or kicking the asses of those who even dared to cross someone she cared about, she was always thinking of others. She had only ever let her personal life cloud her judgement on one occasion – when her uncle was pitted against them. And as far as the professor could tell, her uncle was all she ever had in the world after the fire which destroyed her life. And Vaughan was the cause of that fire. How could she have an emotional attachment to such a person?

This obviously went much deeper than the professor thought.

They stopped at a red traffic light.

"Up ahead! That's the car! There it is! I'm going." Emmy opened the door and got out of the car, running to the black car.

"Emmy! Wait!" the professor scrambled after her.

* * *

They reached the car and saw Flora's head slumped against the window. Emmy was first to reach the car and tried to open the door. Flora saw this and banged on the window.

"IT'S LOCKED!" she screamed. Emmy looked past her to see Luke lying unconscious on the back seat next to her.

"Pull up the inside lock mechanism!" Emmy cried.

"I can't! He disabled the ones in the back!" Flora cried back.

"Right," Emmy said, looking around. She saw a pile of bricks outside a building site not too far from where she was. She would have to be quick.

Emmy ran off as the professor approached. _**"What on earth is she up to?"**_ he wondered as he reached the car.

"PROFESSOR!" Flora screamed.

The professor ran to the window. It pained him to see his little girl so scared.

"It's alright, Flora, Emmy's got a plan," he said. _**"At least I hope she does,"**_ he thought desperately.

Emmy returned with a block her arms.

"Emmy—"

"Stand back, Professor!"

The professor quickly retreated from the car as one of the men in the front looked back.

"HEY, WHAT'RE YE—"

Emmy quickly threw the brick at the boot window. It smashed into tiny shards, showering Flora and Luke in pieces of glass.

Flora quickly tried to climb out as Luke stirred. One of the men grabbed Flora's ankle. She screamed.

The professor reached in and grabbed her hand, pulling her out. Emmy took this distraction as an opportunity to go and fetch another block. They were still at it when she returned. She chucked the block into the windscreen. One of the men got out of the car ready for a fight, but Emmy was too quick for him. He lunged at her but she dodged, sticking her leg out. He tripped over it and landed flat on his face. Emmy kicked him in the ribs before having to deal with the other thug.

The man tried to grab Emmy, but she ran away. The man chased after her, but Emmy kept running until she reached a wall. She ran straight for the wall, slowing her pace to allow the man to catch up with her. When he got close enough, she quickened her pace. With precise and accurate timing, she ran up the wall and somersaulted, landing on the man's shoulders. She gripped onto his hair to keep herself steady and squeezed her legs around his neck, choking him. The man started to turn purple. He collapsed and he and Emmy landed in a heap.

Emmy saw that the other thug had mildly recovered and quickly got up to fight him. He threw a punch, but Emmy ducked, landing a punch into his side. He gasped in pain, starting to fall to the floor. Emmy saw that his legs were wide open, and so took this opportunity to land a swift kick where it hurt the most. The man's eyes watered in pain as he keeled over next to his accomplice.

"Success!" Emmy cried; running back to the professor.

The professor, meanwhile, had gotten the children out of the car and was supporting Luke back to the car, aided by Flora. They had just gotten Luke into the car when Emmy arrived, panting.

"We'd better go, quick," Emmy said, getting into the front seat.

"Should we take Luke to the hospital?" Flora asked, close to tears as she got into the back beside Luke.

"No... I'll be okay. Just a bump on the head..." Luke managed.

"Let's go home for now," the professor said, starting up the engine and turning around, setting off for home. "Brenda has undoubtedly heard by now and will want her son to be with her."

"Uh-oh," Luke said. "She'll kill me."

"No she won't, Luke, she'll probably give you a big hug and get you a sandwich, like she always does," Emmy smiled.

"Yeah," Luke sighed. "And it's the hug that will kill me."

And they all laughed.

* * *

"Hello?" Jai asked into the phone. She turned to Brenda. "What the hell is this thing?"

"It's a phone, Jai," she smiled. "You talk to people when they're not there."

"It's weird," she whispered. "And it doesn't work."

"I think you forgot to push the call button," Celeste smiled, taking the phone from her and pushing it.

Jai took it back and waited.

"Hello? I do not recognise this number, who is this?" asked an accented voice.

"Hello. My name is Jai. Are you Aleks, by any chance?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. I am glad to have finally heard from you," he replied.

"Listen. We need to meet to discuss our options. You have half of the artefacts and we have half of the artefacts. We need to talk, face to face, about this whole situation."

"You are right. We ought to be civilised about this."

"Yes. When and where is the best time and place for such a meeting for you?" Jai asked.

"I think you ought to come to me. Tonight, seven-thirty, at the Roachestown Park Hotel. Please don't be late, as punctuality is very important to me."

"Of course. See you then." Jai handed the phone to Celeste who hung up.

"Well?" she asked.

"Tonight, seven-thirty at the Roachestown park hotel," Jai repeated.

"Did he say anything about Luke?" Brenda asked worriedly.

"No. I don't think Luke would have gotten there yet. Besides, I think Emmy and the professor would have intercepted by now. There are road works not too far from here, so the car would have to atop, and that would be more than enough time for the professor and Emmy to get to Luke."

And sure enough, there was a knock on the door.

Brenda got up and ran to get it. She opened the door to find her son slumped against Emmy's shoulder.

"Luke!" She supported his other side and she and Emmy led him into the living room and onto the sofa. Celeste rushed out into the hall and joined them.

"Celeste, would you take Flora to the kitchen and make her a strong cup of tea?" the professor asked.

"Of course. Come along, dear." Celeste took Flora's arm and led her into the kitchen.

The professor entered the living room to find Brenda cradling her son and murmuring, "Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness..."

"Mum, I'm fine, just a bit dizzy," Luke insisted. "And hungry," he added. "Will someone get me some food?"

Everyone laughed and Brenda got up and rushed to the kitchen.

"That got rid of her," Luke said, winking at Emmy.

Emmy laughed again and ruffled Luke's hair.

"So, what happened, my boy? Did those men say anything to you?" the professor asked, sitting down beside the boy.

"Yes. They kept calling me Dove. They must have thought I was Clive. Where is he, by the way, until I kill him for getting me kidnapped?"

"He went out with Bronev, Desmond and Andrea," Brenda replied, returning with a large plate full of ham and lettuce sandwiches for Luke. "They went out to see the rest of the resistance about the sit down. Jai called Vaughan just now, and he said to meet him at some hotel and seven-thirty. She's calling Bronev now to confirm it to the others."

"So we're seeing him tonight? All of us?" Luke asked.

"I think you should—" Brenda began.

"—go and give him a piece of my mind, because you're going too? C'mon, mum, you know you want to. You can't really let him get off without at least giving him a mouthful first," Luke said.

"I... you're right." Brenda folded her arms. "I must have words with that man."

Emmy sat silently. The professor noticed that she had gone pale. _**"My suspicions are right,"**_ he thought. _**"Now I must figure out how she knows this man, before tonight."**_


	44. A Plan

Chapter 43 – A Plan

"_**My suspicions are right,"**_ he thought. _**"Now I must figure out how she knows this man, before tonight." **_The professor stood up. "Luke, my boy, I think a walk would help you to get your balance back and get rid of that dizziness. Shall we?"

"'Es, 'rofeffor," Luke replied through his last mouthful of sandwich. He gave a huge swallow and sighed contentedly. "Let's go." He stood up. "Thank you for the sandwich, mum." Luke leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek. Brenda smiled and patted him on the back.

The professor smiled and turned to Emmy. "I think you should stay here and rest. You did give those men quite a beating, after all."

Emmy smiled and nodded. She stood up and kissed the professor on the cheek. "See you later," she smiled. She sat back down as the professor and Luke left the room.

As the two entered the hall, they ran into Celeste and Flora.

"How are you feeling now, Luke?" Celeste asked.

"Much better, thank you," Luke smiled.

"We're just going for a walk to get some air," the professor said.

"I'll come too, I could do with some fresh air," Flora said, taking the professor's arm.

"Right you are, my dear," the professor smiled. "We'll see you later," he added to Celeste.

Celeste nodded and the trio left. Celeste sighed heavily. She knew exactly what the professor was up to. _**"I only hope he gets the right answers and tells Emmeline, before tonight at least,"**_ she thought.

* * *

The professor, Luke and Flora walked down the drive and headed out of the estate. Luke gave the professor an odd look. The professor frowned.

"Is everything alright, my boy?" he asked.

"Is everything okay with you an Emmy? It's just that I saw you giving her an odd look before we left," Luke pointed out.

"Well..." the professor noticed Flora staring at him too and sighed. " No. I think she's keeping something from me, about the case. In fact, she told me so herself. But she won't say what."

"What did she say, Professor?" Flora asked before Luke could speak.

"Well... we were talking in a restaurant a few days ago, when we were investigating the area which the water idol was going to appear, and I asked her if she knew Vaughan from before this situation and she told me that he kidnapped her."

"WHAT!" Luke exclaimed angrily.

"And she also said that she knew something else about Vaughan but she wasn't ready to tell me yet," the professor frowned. "And I am certain that Bronev knows about all of this and that he is also keeping a secret of his own, like you said Luke," the professor said.

"Yeah, I remember. You said that you heard him and Celeste talking about that, right Luke?" Flora asked.

"Yeah." Luke was in shock. "When you say kidnapped..."

The professor sighed deeply. "Yes. He held her captive against her will some months ago, before her return to London."

"Did... did Vaughan... do things to her?" Luke asked nervously.

"She said that he hit her, but that was all I could get out of her," the professor said. He looked upset. "But I do know that we have to find out the whole truth, before tonight, so that we know exactly where we stand with Vaughan. And to do this, I will need your assistance. Both of you."

"Where to, Professor?" Luke asked eagerly – finally he was going to make himself useful.

"We need to go to the Midleton Park Hotel and see Bronev immediately. Perhaps after hearing the news of there being a sit down tonight he may be a bit more forthcoming with the details. I shall talk to Bronev, while I have another job for you two. I need you two to watch some people that will be there that I have suspicions about..."

* * *

"... and after I am finished with Bronev, I will be waiting in the reception area, where you two will go when you've finished sleuthing. After we have finished in the hotel, we will go back to the house and I will talk to Emmy and see if I can get anything else out of her before tonight. Then we will regroup after I speak to Emmy and, provided we get the required information, we should be able to deduce the answers to all of our questions. Is that alright?"

"Got it, Professor," Luke replied. "I'll watch him, and Flora can watch her."

"Good. Quickly now, let's go."

* * *

Vaughan watched intently as the professor and his two assistants walked down the road towards the town. "I see that he is doing a bit of last-minute sleuthing to try to uncover some answers," he said to his assistant.

"That's what he does," Tori replied. "He just doesn't stop until he finds the answers he's looking for. That's how he sussed me."

"Hmm..." Vaughan was in deep thought. "He could well be a threat to my plan. We want him to know Bronev's part in this, but we can't have him know how it started. We can't have anyone trust Bronev. Especially not Emmeline."

"So you'll tell her?" Tori asked.

"Most definitely. Bronev has been putting it off for ages. Emmeline still doesn't know. Even if he does tell her before tonight, she still won't trust him, and that's where I'll step in. Perhaps if I comfort her, she might actually trust me, and that will be half the work done."

"And as for Carla..." Tori smiled. "I'll show her and that Antonio who's so perfect. And I'll show dad whose boss when I snatch away his only chance of getting his precious _**Juanita**_ back."

"Yes. We never did get on, Juanita and I, so I am quite glad that she's not coming back," Vaughan smiled.

"But what about the two? What if Layton has sussed them too?"

"Well, they are not really vital to my plan," Vaughan explained. "And neither is Dove, anymore. After the sit down, I will have all four artefacts and that'll be another stage of my plan complete. And all that will be left is the final stage, and I will hand it all over to Agent Mac so that she can get her fill, while I head off into the sunset with everything I ever wanted, happily ever after."

"And what of Emmy?"

"She'll come too."

"Even... after what you did?" Tori looked uncertain.

"She does not have a choice in this. She will come, like it or not, probably not, but that's beside the point." Vaughan smiled. "I will get it all back, and as collateral, Bronev will pay for what he's done and that _**Layton**_ fellow will pay for sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong." Vaughan grinned maliciously. "Neither of them will see Emmeline ever again."

* * *

The professor approached the doorman and held up his identification. "The name is Hershel Layton. My acquaintances and I are here for the resistance meeting."

"Head into the Heaney diner just down the hall," the man said, pointing.

"Thank you."

The trio walked down the hall, where they bumped into Desmond and Andrea.

"Why hello there, Hershel!" Andrea exclaimed, smiling.

"Hello, Andrea. I presume you are here for the meeting?"

"Of course."

"And when shall it be starting?" the professor asked.

"In a few minutes," Desmond replied. "We had better get seats quickly."

They all rushed into the diner and got a table quickly. They saw Bronev and the head of the room in front of a large microphone. There were many people in the room all chatting, many of whom Layton and co. recognised. Flora spotted a man who she saw at the enrolling two months ago. Luke spotted Antonio with Carla and the two boys. Carla and Antonio weren't even looking at each other. The two boys looked on awkwardly. The professor saw Stacey, a young woman he met on his date with Emmy, who was chastising Emmy for seeing someone older than her. He also saw Monica, who was in tow with Stacey. A little way behind them was Vinnie, who stood around awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. Luke glared at him and turned to Flora. "I'm glad Emmy's with the professor now," he whispered. "I don't think anyone else deserves someone as good as her."

Bronev cleared his throat loudly and everyone fell silent. He began to speak. "Earlier today I received notification that there is a sit down to be held at the Roachestown park hotel at seven o'clock tonight. I would appreciate all the support we can get in attendance to this meeting. If you are interested in seeing Vaughan in person, please raise your hand."

Only a few people raised their hands, Vinnie, Carla, Antonio, the two Van De Garde boys, and Grosky, who the professor only now realised was there, and Gibson, who was standing at the bar, accompanied by his partner, Tony Johnson. Everyone else merely sat there anxiously.

"That will do. Thank you all for your time. You may go."

Many people got up to leave and Bronev headed for the door. The professor got up and walked over to him.

Desmond's phone rang, and he got up to answer it. "Excuse me," he muttered to the other three and left the table.

Luke waited until Desmond was a good distance and went after him.

Flora saw that Andrea was texting someone and had a bright idea. She got out her phone and turned on her home-made hacking app and diverted the signal to Andrea. She went through Andrea's texts. As she read, she nodded her head slightly.

"Gotcha," she whispered.

* * *

The professor ran up to Bronev before he could leave the room. "Bronev! A word, if you please."

Bronev checked his watch. "I'm sorry, Layton, but there is a mere five hours until the sit down and I really must—"

"This won't take long." The professor assured him.

Bronev sighed. "Alright. Let's get a table."

* * *

Luke stopped a few meters from Desmond, who was talking on the phone.

"... yes, it's tonight, seven o'clock at the Roachestown park hotel," he confirmed. He paused as the other person spoke. "Yes. But remember, we have to be clever about this. We can't have anyone catching us. Do you understand?" he paused again as he listened to the reply. "Good. After we get the artefacts and the sword..."

"I knew it," Luke whispered. "I knew we couldn't trust you, Descole."


	45. The Truth Emerges

Chapter 44 – The Truth Emerges

The professor and Bronev sat at a table. Bronev faced Layton and sighed.

"So what is it that you want to talk to me about? Because I really must get back and see Emmeline."

"I need to know the truth about your involvement in this situation. And Emmy's too. I don't want to be kept in the dark tonight. About anything."

Bronev glared at him. "Listen to me, Layton. If this is about Emmeline knowing Vaughan, then I'll say what I said last time; I will not say a word without Emmeline's consent."

"She already told me a great deal about the situation before," the professor said calmly.

Bronev's eyes widened. "Oh really? What did she tell you, if anything at all?"

"She told me about when Vaughan kidnapped her and held her captive."

"Is that so? So she has lain all of her cards on the table then?"

"For the most part, yes. But there are still a few facts that I need to confirm. How does Vaughan really know Emmy? Have they ever met before the kidnapping? And when exactly did this kidnapping take place?"

"Well..." Bronev sighed. "Emmeline only got out shortly before her return to London. And he kidnapped her a few months after she last saw you."

Layton's jaw dropped. "WH... what..."

"Vaughan held her captive for well over a year. He found her in America. She was upset after falling out with her at-the-time boyfriend and he took advantage of this. Emmy has been terrified of the man for years. Vaughan managed to apprehend her and he took her to Canada. She was locked up in the basement until the post man heard her screams and broke into the house to let her out. She didn't linger for too long. She fled the scene and returned to London as fast as she could." Bronev looked grave. "She came to visit me in prison, and believe me; she was not well at all."

"I can't even imagine..." the professor sighed.

"I sent her to Celeste, because she's a psychologist. Celeste assessed her condition and diagnosed her with a form of post-traumatic stress and anxiety and started her on a course of medication. I got Celeste to look after her, as I was unable to at the time, seeing as I got a life sentence. But then I was told by a good source that the government were having security issues. I suspected that it was Vaughan, but either way, it was a long-shot. So I applied to speak with an official from one of the departments being targeted. You remember Bloom, don't you? I made a deal with him and got out in exchange for catching the man. Although, I didn't really concentrate on that part for the first couple of weeks, as Emmeline was getting ill and stressed from the pills she was taking, and I haven't even gotten started on her physical injuries. I had to focus on Emmeline and do a bit of background research on my own. But I suspected that Vaughan may start targeting people that were once close to Emmeline to terrify her even further, and that is why I went to see you on day one. And sure enough, he did."

"The letters to Luke..." the professor said. " So I was right. He did send those letters and stage the occurrences mentioned in the letters to terrify Luke to get to Emmy."

"Precisely."

"So Vaughan knows Emmy from before the kidnapping? I remember you telling me before that he did things to her when she was a child... were you referring to the fire?"

"... Yes. But..." Bronev trailed off.

"That is not all." The professor nodded. "Emmy implied this when we spoke about Vaughan last. Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"I... what did Emmeline say to you when she talked about it last?" Bronev asked.

"She said that she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. But I need to know before tonight because I have a feeling that Vaughan will be making some revelations of his own."

"Revelations... do you have a theory, Layton?"

"The making of one, yes. But I need to confirm a few things a gather some more information. Luke and Flora are currently helping me with this, and with any luck we should have two more spies to reveal, not to mention an even larger conspiracy to do with one of the spies which throws this situation into a whole new light."

"Really?" Bronev's eyes widened even further. "Please elaborate."

"When I have everything confirmed, I will tell you everything," Layton said. "But you'll have to answer my questions first, and you'll have to answer them honestly."

Bronev frowned and sighed. "Alright. Fire away."

"When did Emmy first meet Vaughan?" the professor asked.

"I'm not sure. She never told me. But what I do know is that she has known the man for a very long time."

The professor stared at Bronev. He could tell that he was lying, but decided not to press him. _**"perhaps if I ask a few carefully placed questions, I may be able to wriggle the information out of him..."**_ "Emmy said that Vaughan worked for Targent. Can you tell me anything about this?"

"Yes. I know the man very well, actually. Very well indeed..." Bronev trailed off, looking angry. "He was the one that took me and your mother away from you and Desmond. He was the one who killed your mother."

The professor sat in a shocked silence and gaped at Bronev. "Are... are you certain—"

"Positive," Bronev said. "He was the one who forced me to join Targent in the first place. But at the time, I didn't realise the danger I was in, and the danger that Rachel was in." Bronev looked sad. "Vaughan had been threatening Rachel's life. If I didn't produce results, he would administer poison into her system."

"... No..." the professor whispered.

"Yes," Bronev replied sullenly. "The more I failed to produce results, the more poison he would give her, until eventually..."

"She died," the professor whispered. "I... I never knew..."

"Well now you do," Bronev snapped. "And now you know why Emmeline and I despise the man so much. The man is a psychotic murderer who needs to be killed. He is too dangerous to be kept alive. He ruined my life and Emmeline's too."

"Indeed..." the professor was deep in thought. _**" Rachel died before Emmy was even born, so those events must have taken place before the fire... so if Bronev and Vaughan knew each other before the deaths of Rachel, Paloma and Daniel... but he targeted Emmy's father too, so I wonder what kind of research he was conducting that was of interest to Vaughan... Vaughan is after the Grounds of Rebirth... but why exactly... Jai said... on day one..."**_ Everything clicked. _**"Vaughan's name... I need to confirm..."**_

"Bronev?" the professor asked. "What is Vaughan's real name? I'm sure either you or Jai said before that Jonathon Vaughan was a false name."

"It is. His real name is Aleks."

"Aleks..." _**"Vaughan said that when we spoke..."**_

"Yes. Aleksander Chovanek."

The professor nodded. Bronev smiled.

"Yes. I know where you've seen that name before. And I know which conclusion you have come to, and you are indeed correct."

* * *

Flora looked around. "Where is Luke?" she wondered. She walked out of the diner and into the hall. She suddenly spotted Luke in the diner opposite the one she was just in, stuffing himself with fruit tarts.

"Luke!" she snapped. "Get over here! We've got work to do! Whatever happened to 'focus Flora!' and 'try to take the situation more seriously Flora!' you hypocrite!"

"Wha? I 'aven't 'ad anyfink sinsh 'reakfasht!" Luke protested through a huge mouthful of pastry.

Flora rolled her eyes. "We'll make time for food later; we have to report our findings to the Professor. c'mon." Flora went back into the diner and looked around for the professor, with Luke following along and snacking on his tarts. Luke pointed over to the corner of the room, his finger sticky with jam. "O'er 'ere!"

The professor was sat at a table with Bronev and they were deep in discussion. Flora noticed that there was a look of realisation on the professor's face as he nodded to Bronev. Luke grinned at Flora. He gave a huge swallow and said, "Looks like it's another mystery solved."

The professor got up and left the table. He saw Luke and Flora and approached them. "Come now you two – we have much to discuss. Let's get a table." The professor led them over to the nearest table.

Flora and Luke sat on either side of the professor. Flora noticed that the professor seemed tense. "What's up, Professor? You seem... off."

"What? Oh, it's nothing, my dear, I'm fine. What did you find out about Ms. McIntyre?" he asked.

"I hacked into her text messages. The vast majority of them were sent to an unknown number, so I hacked that phone and listened to his messages and it was definitely Vaughan. I can tell by his use of language. It's the same type of language used in his letters."

"Your observational skills are incredible, Flora. Thank you very much for your assistance there. Can you tell me what they said?" the professor asked.

"They mostly referred to the other spies in the resistance – Desmond, Tori and Antonio. Vaughan kept telling her to keep things running smoothly in that department. They also implied that there was another plan too."

"Yes. That confirms another suspicion of mine. Luke, what have you found?"

"I heard Desmond talking on the phone about what he planned to do after he got the artefacts and the sword."

"Yes. I don't think he is on the resistance's side or Vaughan's side. I think he has his own motive for going in search of the Grounds of Rebirth, and that he plans to steal the artefacts tonight. That confirms another suspicion. Well done, my boy."

"Did you get anything out of Bronev?" Luke asked.

"Well..." the professor hesitated. " He told me a few things... about Emmy. But I think I ought to talk to her before I tell anyone else. You understand."

"Yes Professor," Luke replied, but he felt uncertain about this. _**"What exactly does Emmy have to do with this situation? Why does Vaughan want her so badly?"**_ Luke thought back to the day Emmy had betrayed the professor and him, and the day she left... _**"But she had a good reason for that... she did it for Bronev, because he helped her..."**_

"I think e should probably head back now, so that I can talk to Emmy and we can prepare for tonight," the professor said, getting up. "Come you two; let's go." He headed for the exit.

Flora and Luke looked at each other uncertainly. "What do you think he found out about Emmy?" Flora asked.

"I'm not sure," Luke replied. "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

* * *

Bronev headed out of the hotel after he had finished speaking to the professor and dialled Emmy's number immediately. It went straight to voicemail. _**"Come on, pick up girl,"**_ he thought angrily, dialling her number again. It went to voicemail again. He decided t leave Emmy a message.

Bronev sighed. "Layton knows, Emmeline. I think he knows everything. Prepare for the worst. I'll be back as quick as I can." He put his phone back into his pocket and looked around for his acquaintance. He scowled. _**"By God, Paul, if you do a no-show on me, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands, boy."**_


	46. Talk

Chapter 45 – Talk

The professor, Luke and Flora entered the Triton's house once more and went into the living room. They found Brenda and Emmy sitting and having a chat over some tea.

"Oh, hello Hershel!" Brenda beamed. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, I'm afraid that will have to wait for now." The professor sounded tense. He turned to Emmy. "Could I have a word with you, Emmy?"

"Er… okay." Emmy sounded very tense herself as she followed the professor out of the room and upstairs to the spare room. The professor sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him. Emmy sat close to him and he put an arm around her shoulders.

"Now, before I ask you something, is there anything that you would like to tell me?" the professor asked gently.

Emmy thought for a moment. Of course there were things that she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him about everything she went through with Vaughan and every other horrible thing that had ever happened in her life. She wanted to cry out and let out the constant misery that plagued her inside. But she couldn't. She was just too scared. And it showed, just by the look on her face.

"It's alright, dear," the professor said gently. "You can tell me anything. You know you can."

Emmy started shaking. The professor held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"Would you like me to begin?" the professor asked. "I spoke to Bronev a little while ago, and he told me a lot. But he didn't tell me everything, and I need you to fill in the gaps. I know that this is so hard for you. I know that recalling traumatic memories that you have tried so hard to forget is the single most difficult thing that anyone can do. But please, Emmy, you have to try, for my sake and for everyone else's sake. I need you to tell me how you know Vaughan, from the first day that you met him. Please Emmy."

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she tried in vain to speak. She couldn't speak. She could only sob. The professor held her tight as she cried uncontrollable into his shoulder. The professor didn't know what to say. He already knew the bulk of what had happened to her, but he needed to know everything. He had a growing suspicion that he had to confirm. But he hated hurting Emmy. His Emmy. He loved her so much and the thought of Vaughan ever hurting her pained him. He wanted her to be okay.

Slowly, Emmy's sobs gradually began to cease and they sat together, Emmy in the professor's arms. The professor rocked her slowly and kissed her on the cheek. Emmy gulped.

"Well... it all began about sixteen years ago. I told you about the fire and how Vaughan started it. That... that was when it all started... he burned down my house and he's been terrorising me ever since..."

"Because your father was an archaeologist?" the professor asked.

Emmy nodded.

"Do you know something about the grounds of rebirth, Emmy?"

Emmy shook her head. "No. but my father did. He knew of their whereabouts and was in search of the artefacts."

"And Vaughan knew as well?"

Emmy stopped. The professor leaned in closer to her and looked into her eyes. Emmy looked back at him. She looked frightened.

"Tell me. Please."

Emmy swallowed. "Vaughan knows too because... because..." Emmy began to cry again.

The professor held her tighter and kissed her on the cheek again.

"Because... Vaughan and my father... they..."

"Yes?"

"They... they're the... they're the same person..."

"Yes. I know," the professor said.

"Vaughan..." Emmy sniffed. "Vaughan is my... my father."


	47. Affections

Chapter 46 – Affections

"Vaughan..." Emmy sniffed. "Vaughan is my... my father." She sniffed again as tears poured down her cheeks. The professor held her tighter again and he tried to wipe her tears away.

"it's alright, dear," he soothed. "everything will be okay now. Because I know now, because you were brave and loyal enough to tell me, I can help you now."

Emmy continued to sob into the professor's shoulder.

"I need you to answer me a few more questions, please. Was it really Vaughan who burned down your house?"

Emmy nodded. "I don't know why he did it. Al that about him trying to get to my father... it was all a lie. I... I don't know why he did that. everything was okay. We were all happy, me, him, mum and Daniel... why would he ruin all that... everything that we had... but, it was only after mum and Daniel died that I noticed a terrible change in him. He used to cry all the time, and scream all the time, and when I would go in to check on him, to see if he was okay, he would... he would..." Emmy sobbed some more. "he hit me... and hurt me... why? Why did he do this to us?"

"we'll find out tonight," the professor reassured her. "will you be alright t come, or would you prefer to stay here/"

"I... I... I need to go. I have to face up to this sometime... I... I've been scared of him for so many years... and when I was finally okay... when I finally had everything I needed... Uncle Leon and all my friends..." Emmy cried into the professor's jacket.

The professor cradled her and kissed her again. "it's okay," he soothed. "everything will be okay. I promise. The resistance will ensure that Vaughan will be punished for what he has done to you, and Luke and Sinead and everyone else that he has hurt. I promise."

Emmy buried her face into the professor's jacket and nodded. The sat there for some time, holding each other as Emmy cried and let out all of her emotions, every last tear and cry that she held back for all those years. When Emmy's sobs began to cease, they laid back together on the bed and relaxed, Emmy's head rested on the professor's chest. She closed her eyes as she felt the professor's chest rise and fall with every breath he took. She felt every beat of his heart, every breath he took, and his warm arms wrapped around her... _**"it's finally over..."**_ she thought. _**"he finally knows everything. Everything is out in the open, and everything will finally be okay..."**_ she smiled. Or so she thought.

The professor sighed, deep in thought. He knew the whole story now; everything that Emmy had ever been through, everything that Vaughan had done... and Bronev. Oh, he knew very well what his secret was now. But that wasn't the problem.

The problem was figuring out how he was supposed to tell Emmy, especially when she had been this upset. The woman that lay on top of him in that very moment had been through more than any person, no matter how horrible or evil they ever were, ever deserved. The professor couldn't even wish any of what Emmy had been through on anyone he disliked, not even Vaughan himself.

But either way, with both sides of the argument weighed up, there was only one cause for the misfortune suffered by Emmy, Bronev, Vaughan and jai – the grounds of rebirth themselves. The professor didn't think that even the power to bring your loved ones back from the dead was enough to put Emmy through what she had been through. And if jai was right, and the grounds of rebirth were nothing but a curse all along, then it would all have been for nothing.

The professor removed one arm from around Emmy and checked his watch. Half five. He sighed. _**"In an hour and a half, I'll be meeting this man once more, with everyone else present, revealing the horrors I have found out about today... it will all be over..."**_ the professor cleared his throat.

"Emmy?" he asked gently. "I think we ought to go downstairs and get ready. The sit down is in an hour and a half. Are you ready?"

Emmy sat up. "I just need to fix my face," she said. Indeed, her mascara was running down her cheeks and her eyes were still red and watery. The professor stroked her cheek and smiled intently at her. "you'll always be beautiful to me," he whispered.

Emmy beamed at him. "I love you." The wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. They sat together, Emmy on the professor's lap, their arms wrapped tightly around one another. There was a knock on the door and Brenda entered. The professor and Emmy broke apart.

"Er... we're heading off in a few minutes, it's an hour and a half's drive from here to Roachestown," Brenda said. She looked worriedly at Emmy's tear stained face. "are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I'm much better now," Emmy smiled. "I'll be with you in a moment. You go on ahead, Hershel." Emmy kissed the professor on the cheek and headed out the door to the bathroom.

Brenda smiled at the professor. "You know, Hershel, she really loves you. She told me earlier. The girl loves the bones of you."

The professor smiled. "I know. And I love her right back. And the sooner this whole situation is over, the sooner Emmy, Flora and I can start our new lives together, as a family."

Brenda beamed. "I think Emmy's finally found the man who will treat her right. And you know; Clark and I always knew that it would be you."

The professor beamed. "And that's the way it's going to stay."

* * *

Ten minutes later, everyone was downstairs and Bronev had just entered. He turned to Emmy, whose face was now dry.

"can I have a word with you, my dear?" he asked gently, taking her arm. He lead her out of the hall and into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Emmy asked, sitting down at the table beside him.

"I don't think you should go tonight."

"I need to do this," Emmy said firmly.

"But my dear girl, look at you—"

"Uncle Leon, please. I have to go tonight, otherwise I'll never face up to this and I'll feel like a coward for the rest of my life." She gazed into his eyes. "just promise me that you'll hold my hand."

Bronev smiled and took her hand in his. "That's my girl," he whispered. "That's my little Emmeline. I'll never let go of you. Not ever. But only if you promise never to leave me..."

"You don't even need to ask. I'll always be by your side," Emmy beamed, wrapping her arms around him. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled.

Bronev stroked her hair and frowned. _**"You say that now,"**_ he thought, _**"but when you find out what I've done, you'll never forgive me."**_


	48. The Ride

Chapter 47 – The Ride

All resistance members had set off for the Roachestown park hotel to meet Vaughan at the sit down, everyone following Clark, who knew the way there. Flora had seen that Emmy was upset and decided to go with Clark, Brenda and Luke, to give Emmy and the professor some space. Emmy sat in the front seat with the professor driving. They had been going for about a half an hour before either of them said anything. The professor was the first to speak.

"Are you alright now, my dear?" he asked. "Are you feeling better now?"

Emmy nodded and forced a smiled on her face.

The professor took her hand and stroked her fingers. She looked into his eyes.

"You know, Emmy, I have to tell everyone what the relationship really is between you and Vaughan. And about the... abuse. You understand, don't you?"

Emmy nodded. She looked calmer, and there wasn't even a trace of tears or upset on her face.

"Are you sure you want to go in?" the professor asked. "You can stay here in the car if you feel unable for this."

"No," Emmy replied. "I'm going in. I just had Uncle Leon ask me the same thing. Vaughan... he has hurt me so much in the past, and I won't give him the satisfaction of scaring me away." Emmy folded her arms.

The professor smiled. "That's the Emmy Altava I know. But... just remember that I'm here for you. I'll be there to hold your hand if you need it."

Emmy beamed at the professor. "Thank you, Hershel. I know. I'm ready for this, so long as I have you and Uncle Leon with me, I'll be able to face up to him."

"And we will be," the professor assured her. "Don't worry."

* * *

"Mum?" Luke asked, sitting up. "Is... is everything alright with Emmy?"

"Er... I'm not sure, Luke," Brenda said uncertainly. "Why?"

"Well, the professor said that he needed to talk to her about something about the case, and before we left, I saw her going into the bathroom and she was crying. Flora thinks she has more to do with this case than we think."

"No I didn't, that was you!" Flora cried.

"Well, whoever said it, I think they may be right," Clark said. "You have to admit that she has been acting suspicious of late, and that Bronev fellow has been up to something, always skulking off with that Celeste woman."

"Well, I can see why you would suspect Bronev, he is a bit of an odd fellow to say the least, but I really don't think Emmy has done anything wrong," Brenda said. "I think she's just stressed. We all are. And she has had it tough recently."

"Yes, but when I saw Hershel earlier, he looked the picture of stressed. And he kept glancing at Emmy. He may know more than he's letting on."

"But he's probably going to make a dramatic revelation at the sit down, you know him, dad," Luke pointed out. "He'll probably want all involved parties in attendance, so he doesn't have to tell us twice."

"You're probably right, Luke. We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

"So, she's going after all, then?"

"Yes."

"But what about your plan?"

"Forget the plan. She needs to know. And I can't tell her, so Vaughan will. It may be harsh, but it's for the best."

Celeste sighed, leaning her head against the window. "She will break down again."

"I know she will. But once I'm gone and she gets her head around the idea, she'll be fine." Bronev sighed. "I've really lost her this time. I thought I did before when she left for America, but now... how will she ever forgive me for this? As if I haven't ruined her life enough with Targent and everything else I've done, but when she finds out about this, then that's it. I'll have nothing left to live for."

"The girl loves you, Bronev," Celeste insisted. "You were always there for her when she needed you, and she will be there for you. I know she will."

"And what if she hates me? I won't be able to take that." Bronev sighed.

"It is only natural that she will be shocked and angry at first, but she will come round. That is for certain."

"But how do you know?" Bronev asked.

"Because the two of you are virtually inseparable. She loves you, whether she wants to or not." Celeste reached over to the steering wheel and patted his hand. "Everything will be okay. I know it.

* * *

Desmond checked his watch. It was almost time. Jai would have already been there hours in advance with the artefacts in hand, and he would get there before all the others and get to the artefacts. The only people standing in his way were Jai and Vaughan. And he knew exactly how to get past them. He had the perfect accomplice right beside him.

"How far away is this hotel, anyhow?" Don Paolo asked. "And what exactly do I have to do?"

Desmond smiled widely. "The plan is simple, my friend..."

* * *

The car pulled up outside the hotel and Desmond got out of the car, with Don Paolo in pursuit. Desmond turned to Raymond, who had driven the there, and Andrea, who was sat in the front seat. "Wait here, I'll get the goods and be back in about ten minute's tops." He and Don Paolo went inside the hotel quickly.

Andrea sighed. "This plan had better work, Desmond..."

* * *

The Triton car and Layton's hired car pulled up at the hotel half an hour laer. The professor got out of the car and opened the door for Emmy. Emmy stepped out of the car and smiled at the Professor. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. They hugged briefly before setting off to greet the Tritons.

"We had better find where he's holding this sit down quick, it's nearly seven," Clark pointed out, taking Brenda's hand.

"Right you are," the professor agreed. "Let's go." He took Emmy's arm and Flora's hand and the six of them set off together.

"They're heading into the hotel. We'd better get after them," Celeste pointed out as the car pulled up beside the professor's one.

Bronev got out of the car and hurried after them with Celeste in hot pursuit. Bronev caught a glimpse of Emmy and called out to her. "Emmeline!"

Emmy turned around and smiled at him. She beckoned for the others to stop and wait for them. As Bronev approached his niece and planted a kiss on her cheek, another larger group entered and approached them.

Carla, Antonio, Xavier and Aldaz all walked together, shoulder to shoulder; side by side. All were dressed in black and looked ready to kill.

Grosky, Gibson and Tony were gathered together and discussing the legal actions that they should be taking upon arresting Vaughan.

Stacey and Monica were gossiping idly in the background. Vinnie stood far at the back, his gaze fixated on Emmy. He caught her eye and smiled. Emmy returned his smiled.

Celeste stood tall in front of the crowd. "RIGHT!" everyone fell silent. "good. Vaughan will be meeting us in the Kelleher suite, so I'm told. E had better get in there. Straight down this corridor, first suite on the right. Come; les go."

Everyone followed Celeste, Emmy. Bronev and the professor down the corridor. They stopped at the door, preparing themselves.

"This is it," Emmy whispered. The professor took her hand.

"Everything will be okay," he whispered. He just hoped that was true.

Bronev grasped the handle firmly and pushed the door wide open. Inside there was a long table, long enough to seat everyone present and a few more. Jai stood at the foot of the table and Desmond, Raymond and Andrea sat in the middle.

"Where is he?" Bronev demanded.

"On his way. He is just ordering dinner. He thought you might be hungry after the long drive. Everyone take a seat."

Everyone did as instructed. Bronev sat down beside Jai at the foot of the table. Emmy sat beside him and the professor sat on her other side. Luke took his place beside the professor as is trusty apprentice, and Clark sat beside his son. Brenda sat beside Clark and beckoned for Flora to sit beside her. Vinnie sat on the other side of Bronev and Carla sat beside him. Aldaz and Xavier sat beside her and Gibson sat in the next seat. Grosky, Tony and Celeste all sat at the top of the table near the head seat. There was absolute silence as everyone waited in anticipation for Vaughan to arrive. A few minutes later, dinner was served.

Plates of roast chicken were put in front of each resistance member. Luke, not knowing that no one else was going to touch theirs, immediately started filling his face. Everyone else sat still in silence. After tearing all the meat off of the chicken leg with his teeth, Luke noticed the silence and stopped eating, swallowing the chicken in his mouth before staring sheepishly at the floor.

"It's alright boy," a voice boomed across the room. "You can tuck in. The hotel would get shut down if it's food was poisonous."

Everyone sat up a little straighter as a figure emerged from the top of the room. The professor recognised his face immediately from the sketch Emmy had shown him before, and he realised exactly where he had recognised him from before – he looked very similar to Emmy. He had the same dark brown hair, and the same deep eyes that the professor had loved so much. The professor stared at Vaughan, but all he could see was Emmy.

Vaughan smiled at the expressions on everyone's faces, mixed expressions of shock, fury and anger, and took his place at the head of the table. He picked up his knife and fork and began to eat.

Still, no one else ate a thing and all eyes were on Vaughan as he demolished his roast chicken. Emmy looked at Luke and saw that his mouth was watering. She smiled. Feeling sorry for him, she picked up her knife and fork and began to eat too. Luke smile at her and continued to stuff his face. Everyone else took this as their cue and started to eat too. Vaughn sat back and smiled.

Once everyone had finished, Vaughan cleared his throat. "I am glad that we can all sit here like civilised adults."

"Indeed," Bronev replied coldly.

"There is a very god reason for me to have done what I have."

"Oh?" Gibson asked.

"So?" Vaughan asked coldly. "You would like me to explain why I have done this?"


	49. The Sitdown

Chapter 48 – The Sit Down

"So you would like me to explain why I have done this?" asked Vaughan coldly.

As he said this, Emmy gripped the professor's hand tighter. She knew what was coming.

"Well, yeah, why else would we be here?" Tony snorted. Carla gave him a quick nudge and he fell silent once more.

"Yes," said Bronev, in a tone which was equally as cold as Vaughan's. "If you could explain why you have been attacking this town and causing upset and disruption to so many innocent people, then that would be most wonderful."

Vinnie snickered, earning a kick from Carla. Carla then looked over in Emmy's direction. Emmy was as white as a sheet. Their eyes met briefly. "Are you okay?" Carla mouthed to Emmy. Emmy shook her head slightly. The professor sensed this and gave her hand a quick squeeze of reassurance. "Don't worry, my dear," he whispered. "I won't let him hurt you."

Vaughan glanced in Emmy's direction. He then turned to stare at her. Emmy blushed. Bronev reached under the table and took Emmy's other hand.

"Well, come on, we haven't got all week," he spat. "Tell us! Why!"

Vaughan smiled. "It's a long story."

"Give us the shortened version. Quickly."

"Alright." Vaughan cleared his throat. "It all began sixteen years ago. All of this." Vaughan nodded to Emmy. "When my wife and son were killed in their sister's house."

Carla froze. _**"What?!"**_ she thought frantically. _**"This has to be some sort of a coincidence..."**_ she looked at Emmy, who looked very upset. She looked back at Vaughan. _**"No..."**_

"That's right," the professor said. "We know all about that. We know exactly who you are and what you have done to Emmy. We want to know why."

Everyone else stared back and forth from the professor to Vaughan to Emmy, looking very confused. Vaughan noticed this and smiled.

"Well, it looks like our friends here will beg to differ." He grinned. "Why don't you explain what you claim to know? I doubt it is the full story anyway. There are only two people I this room who know the full circumstances of all of this and that is myself and Mr. Bronev here." Vaughan smiled at Bronev.

"Not quite, I'm afraid," the professor said. "I know everything, more, dare I say, than even you. There are indeed two people in this room who know everything, but neither of them are you or Bronev."

Bronev froze. "What?"

"Hershel, what do I know that he doesn't?" Emmy whispered.

"It's not you either, my dear," the professor replied.

"Right." Vaughan stood up again. "Enough riddles. Why don't you explain everything, Layton? Explain what you believe to be the truth."

"Very well," the professor smiled. "Take a seat, Mr. Chovanek, and I will tell you everything."

Vaughan's eyes widened as he returned to his seat. "Oh? You know about that, do you? Oh, well played, Layton; well played."

"Yes. I had a very god source to clarify that for me," Layton replied.

"What? What are you talking about, professor?" Luke asked.

"Allow me to explain." The professor gave an uneasy glance to Emmy, but she nodded. "Tell them," she whispered. The professor nodded back and continued.

"You started out this whole escapade by sending threatening letters to Luke Triton here. We all know that the whole point of that little plot was to scare Emmy. In almost every letter, you demanded to know where she was. But all the time, you knew that she was in London. You knew that Luke would call e here and that Emmy would accompany me, presumably with Bronev, out of concern for her young friend. That was the whole point of it, wasn't it? You had no intention of harming Loretta O'Brien, John Flanagan, the students of st. Mary's high school or Sinead O'Donovan. You just wanted to scare Emmy."

"Very good, Mr. Layton," Vaughan smiled. "You haven't been walking around with your eyes closed, I see."

"After that, Jai found the sword, or the idol of rebirth, and proceeded to search out the artefacts. You decided to bide your time and let your carefully placed spies do the work of stealing the artefacts. But that plan failed when I discovered the connection between Antonio and his brother's disappearance. Tori was the true spy and wanted revenge on behalf of her mother."

"Yes, that is true," Vaughan agreed. "Eli had cheated on his wife and had Tori, but still wanted his wife back."

"So you made a deal with him. So said that you would bring back his wife in exchange for a spy or two to steal the artefacts at a later stage."

"But that plan also failed. You outthought me again, Layton."

"And your next plan is also going to fail, Vaughan. I already know who your spies are and where they are placed." The professor looked at Jai. He smiled as he listened out and heard the exact noise he wanted to hear. Footsteps. Two pairs of footsteps. "Three... two... one...—"

The door crashed open and two girls entered – Aurora and... Jai.

Vaughan blinked as everyone else gasped audibly. "WH... what..."

"That's right," Jai – the Jai who just entered the room, that is – snarled. "I saw through your little plan and had Aurora on standby to let me out of your trunk."

"Precisely." The professor smiled at the astounded Vaughan. "I know exactly who is responsible for this." The professor stood up and began to pace the room at his leisure. "This person has been spying on the resistance since day one. Unlike Antonio, this person was not forced by Vaughan to work for him. Well, that is not the whole truth. The truth may astound some of the people in this room. Especially you, Vaughan."

"What do you mean?" Vaughan asked in a voice of forced calm.

"This person was merely using you. He was going to steal the artefacts from you, as he "stole" them from Jai. Luckily, she ones she had in her possession were fakes, well made fakes like two of the ones you got, Vaughan. This person knew that Jai would come early, being the punctual person that she is, and also to check the place for traps that may have been set, and so on. Your spy followed her to kidnap her, steal the artefacts and sit here amongst the resistance like nothing had happened, while when your back was turned, he would steal the other artefacts from you and commence with his own plan to use the Grounds of Rebirth. He has been against all of us the whole time. And that person... is you!" the professor pointed at Desmond.

"I KNEW IT!" Luke yelled.

Everyone else stared angrily at Desmond.

Desmond glared at the professor.

"Well? What have you got to say for yourself?" Vaughn asked coldly.

"I never worked for you," Desmond said coldly. "I would never work for a man with such inhumane priorities."

"Why? Why did you turn against the resistance?" Carla asked.

"I was never really on the resistance side," Desmond explained. "But I was never on Vaughan's side either. But rest assured, if I was forced to pick a side, I would have picked the resistance side."

"That's right," the professor said. "It isn't your fault."

"What do you mean?" Vaughan demanded.

"Desmond only wanted to use the Grounds of Rebirth to get his life back. All the years he spent fighting against Targent cost him the lives of his wife and daughter. His only family after our parents were taken away from us." The professor looked at Bronev. "Desmond only wanted his family back. He wasn't against anyone, he didn't want to hurt anyone; he only wanted the people he loved."

"So, if she isn't Jai, then who's the real Jai?" Xavier asked, pointing at the Jai beside Bronev.

This Jai grabbed at the top of her head and the front of her sweater and pulled. Don Paolo stood before him with a pitiful expression on his face.

"Desmond hired me to assist him in his plan," Don Paolo explained. "I was on his side."

"That's another mystery solved," the professor smiled.

Vaughan said nothing.

"And I think I know why you want Emmy so badly as well."

"Oh? Well why don't you tell us all, as the majority of your acquaintances here are completely unaware..."

"Right. As you so rightly said, all of this started sixteen years ago, when you burned down Emmy's house, killing her aunt, mother and brother and ruined her life. But that is not the whole story."

"What?" Carla asked, dreading the answer. She had thought all that was behind her, but obviously not.

"Your name is Aleks. Aleksander Chovanek. Emmy's mother's name that was on the documents about the fire that I read said that Emmy's name, along with her mother's and brother's, was Chovanek. This... this led me to conclude..."

"No..." Carla whispered. "God, Aleks... tell me it's not you... Uncle Aleks?"

"What?" Antonio asked.

"WHAT?" Luke roared incredulously. He looked at Emmy. "Tell me – tell me he's not your father?"

Everyone turned to stare at Emmy. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She nodded.

There was silence apart from whispering from Stacey and Monica. "This is the best sit down I've ever been to," Stacey whispered to Monica, who merely nodded.

"Well..." Vaughan said, breaking the silence, "you obviously know more than I thought you did."

"And there's more," the professor said. "I know what really happened that day. The day you lost your wife and son."

"Really?"

"Really. I know that you didn't do it. I know that you weren't even there at the time. I know that you were in Ireland, uncovering the true location of the Grounds of Rebirth and trying to find out why you couldn't gain access to the very lace that would make you famous and earn you enough money to have you and your wife and children se for life."

"What?" Carla turned back to the professor. "He... he didn't do it?"

"No. But I know who." The professor gulped. He felt Emmy's hand drop from his as she stared expectantly at him. "It's worse. It was someone I never suspected for a moment until I found out this evening. I tried to see if there was another solution to the problem, but this was the only answer that fitted. I... I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" Vaughan asked coldly.

"_**He doesn't know..."**_ the professor sighed. This was going to be even harder than he thought. "You worked for Targent, did you not? That is why you were searching for the grounds in the first place."

"Yes."

The professor sighed again. "Then it must be true."

"What? WHAT? COME ON, OUT WITH IT MAN!" Vaughan yelled.

"You were the one put in charge of manipulating Leon Bronev, here, weren't you?" the Professor asked.

"Yes," Vaughan replied through gritted teeth.

"And you were the one who killed Rachel Bronev through the influence of arsenic?"

"HE WHAT?!" Desmond roared, making everyone jump.

"Then that only leads me to one conclusion."

There was a tense silence as the professor struggled to bring himself to say it. "I... I believe Bronev... Bronev here started the fire... as... as revenge for the taking of his family. Bronev committed the arson. He... he killed your mother and brother, Emmy."


	50. Bronev's Secret

Chapter 49 – Bronev's secret

Silence. All was quiet after this revelation, for one reason. After hearing such a thing, no one really knew what to say. All sat in total silence, staring at Bronev, wearing expressions of shock and fury. Except for Emmy.

Her face was blank, almost expressionless. She sat there in the silence and looked deeply into her uncle's eyes, trying to stare the truth out of him. She needed to know if it was true. She needed to hear the truth for once. _**"It can't be true,"**_ she thought. _**"It can't be... he loves me, he told me; he promised... he wouldn't have looked after me for so long if he didn't..."**_

Carla sat there in disbelief. _**"No,"**_ she thought. _**"Leon is a good man, he wouldn't... he couldn't... could he?"**_

Celeste sighed deeply. _**"I tried,"**_ she thought. _**"I warned you time and again, but you simply wouldn't listen."**_

Vaughan nodded his head. _**"I understand... it all makes sense now..."**_ he glared. He looked at Emmy. _**"So, it was him that ruined her life, not me... I'll kill you Bronev."**_

Bronev simply stared back into his niece's eyes. There was no hint of guilt, or surprise, or any kind of emotion on his face. He merely stared into her eyes.

To everyone's surprise, Xavier was the first to speak. With a look of pure shock and disbelief on his face, he said, "Is it true?"

Everyone glanced at Xavier, then back at Bronev. Bronev took a deep breath.

"Well?" Xavier asked, sounding angry.

Emmy crossed her fingers under the table. _**"Please say no, please say no..."**_

But to her horror, he nodded. He nodded directly at her, with his hand still held in hers. He squeezed her hand and leaned in towards her. "Please. Please don't hate me," he whispered.

Emmy looked as though she was about to cry, but didn't make a noise. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Not for anyone. But she still didn't let go of Bronev's hand.

"You... you killed my mother..." Xavier trailed off, looking sad.

Bronev nodded again. "I... I'm sorry, boy—"

"YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Xavier got up from his seat and made for Bronev, fists raised, screaming. "I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Antonio grabbed Xavier round the middle and hauled him back to his seat.

"Don't bother, he's not worth it!" Antonio cried, pushing at Xavier hard. But Xavier kept fighting against him. "I WANT HIM DEAD! I WANT HIM DEAD FOR WHAT HES DONE TO US!"

Carla watched the scene from her seat, tears pouring down her face. "Please, god, no..." she whispered.

Xavier was still fighting against Antonio. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"SILENCE!"

Everyone turned to this new speaker. Jai glared at all of them. "This is not what we are here for. We are not here to yell and scream at each other like children. We are here to prevent the worst from happening, and none of you are helping here."

"What do you expect us to do? We just found out that our mother was murdered by this abomination, and you expect us to be like 'hey, it's okay Bronev, we forgive you!' and then we all have tea and biscuits and we all live well and dandy for the rest of our lives? Get real Jai! That may be the way it was back in your time, but this is a new world lady!" Aldaz roared. "I'm with Xavier; I say we kill the bastard!"

"The only person who has the right to decide what happens to this man is Emmy," Jai pointed out. "She has lost the most to him. But it's funny, though. I didn't hear her say a word."

Everyone turned to look at Emmy, who had retained her emotionless expression. She didn't meet any of their gazes. She was still staring into Bronev's eyes. Bronev looked intently back at her. He leaned in towards her again and kissed her on the cheek. "You know that I love you," he whispered. "You know that I care."

"Then why did you do it?" Emmy whispered. "Why did you kill them? And why didn't you kill me too?"

Bronev sighed heavily. "It's a long story..."


	51. Memories - The Kidnapping

Chapter 50 – Memories – The Kidnapping

Bronev sighed heavily. "It's a long story..."

_**It is indeed a very long story. You could listen to Bronev's explanation, but I would rather show you. Let us go back thirty one years to when it all began: the day of the abduction of Leon and Rachel Bronev.**_

_**23**__**rd**__** August 1983**_

_Leon sat at his desk, looking at the rock particles he had gathered from a very important site the previous day. He had been there for hours with his carbon dating equipment, trying to pinpoint an exact age on these particles. "If I get an exact date on this, and the date is prehistoric, I may have found the location of the Grounds of Rebirth," he explained to Rachel, who looked on worriedly. He had been there for hours, and looked in desperate need of a good rest._

_She checked her watch. Three o'clock. It was almost time for the boys to come home from school. She had entrusted Hershel with the task of bringing Theodore safely hoe with no fuss, and wondered if they were alright. __**"don't be silly, Rachel,"**__ she told herself. __**"Hershel is thirteen now. He is more than big enough to bring Theodore home by himself. You worry too much."**__ She tried to relax a bit as she looked over Leon's shoulder at the rock particles. She glanced over at the carbon dating machine, which was beeping rapidly. Leon was immersed in his work, staring excitedly and expectantly at the machine working before him, waiting in an excited anticipation for the results of the test._

_The light glowed red. Success. Leon sat still for a moment, unable to believe his success. Rachel beamed at him and took his shoulders._

"_Yes!" Leon cried. "Yes! I've done it! I've got it! It's there!" he jumped up in triumph. _

_Rachel laughed at the spectacle before her. Leon turned to her and picked her up off the floor._

"_LEON!" she cried, laughing. He ignored her and began to dance around with her in his arms. He was happy beyond anything he had ever felt before and nothing could possibly spoil this moment. _

_They heard the front door open and their two sons entered the small house. Leon put his giggling wife down and headed out into the hallway to greet the two boys._

_Leon knelt in front of his smallest son, Theodore, and ruffled his hair. "How was school, today, my dear boy?"_

"_Fine!" Theodore replied cheerfully._

_Hershel smiled at the two. "More importantly; what was the result of those rock particles?"_

_Leon grinned up and his eldest son from kneeling down on the floor. "99% chance of it being prehistoric. It is definitely older than the Azran, which means that the Grounds of Rebirth definitely reside there."_

_Hershel beamed at his father. "So that means that you have just discovered the location of the greatest find in history?"_

"_That's right, boy!" _

_Hershel held his hand up for a high-five. Leon smiled and slapped it. _

_Rachel beamed at the two as she entered the room._

"_Mummy!" Theodore ran over to her for a hug. Rachel laughed and picked him up. She turned to Hershel. "Going by the happy expression on your face, you've heard of your father's big discovery?"_

"_Yeah," Hershel beamed. "So, where exactly is it?"_

"_Over in Ireland, where I made my last expedition," Leon replied. "In that small town near cork city, Midleton. I believe it is underground, directly below the town. Can you imagine it, though? Every day of their lives, the citizens of the town have been living over such an incredible find, and yet none of them even thought to look!"_

"_But are you sure that there are caverns in the town?" Rachel asked._

"_Yes. I did landscaping tests when I was there. The roads seem to dip in certain areas, where I think the ground layer between the surface and the cavern is too thin. I've enquired about it, and apparently every couple of years they need to resurface the roads. That is a sure sign that there is some sort of a drop down there, and the tests I have just done clarify that it is of the same time period. All we need to do it somehow get in there and we'll probably find it. I know it."_

"_I'm convinced!" Hershel said enthusiastically. _

_Rachel smiled. She put Theodore down again and stretched. "I'll be in the kitchen making dinner. I'll leave you boys to your archaeological discussion." She left._

_Hershel turned back to his father. So when are you going over there to see it?"_

_Rachel washed her hands and looked in the fridge to see what was in. A flash outside the window caught her eye. She frowned. She pulled up the blinds and looked outside, but there was nothing to be seen. __**"Probably just a cat,"**__ she thought, returning to her work. _

_Half an hour later, they all sat down to a meal while Leon spoke some more about his next expedition, which was to take place the following week._

"_I can't wait to see what you find!" Hershel beamed._

"_Oh, you will alright." Leon smiled at his wife, who smiled back, remembering the discussion they had a few hours before. "Hershel, I want you to come with me and help your old man find this place. You'll be a fine asset to my team, and it will be very educational for you. That is, if you want to."_

_Hershel's eyes widened. "Really? I can go this time? Can I mother?"_

"_Of course, if that is what you wish," Rachel smiled, winking at her husband._

"_Yes!" he cried. After that, he simply couldn't stop talking about the upcoming trip, what they were going t find, what to bring, how long they would be there and how excited he was. Leon smiled at him and his wife, hardly able to take a bite of his dinner through the conversation that was taking place. There was a knock on the front door and Hershel immediately got up to get it._

_He opened the door to three men in black uniform. "Can I help you?" Hershel asked politely._

"_Yes, you can, my boy," the first said. This man had dark brown hair, deep brown eyes, a pale complexion and a heavily accented voice. Hershel suspected that he was from Russia, or Czechoslovakia, and that he may have been a friend of his father's. "Is this the residence of Leon Bronev?"_

"_Yes, it is," Hershel answered. He turned around. "Father!" he called. "There are some men here to see you!"_

_Frowning, Leon, Rachel and Theodore headed out into the hall to see the men. As soon as he caught glimpse of their uniforms, Leon gasped, grabbing Hershel's shoulder and dragging him back behind him. Leon stood tall in front of his family and spoke out to the man._

"_What do you want from me?" Leon said calmly. _

"_You know what I want," the man said coldly. "You know too much, Bronev. I'd like you to come with me. Forfeit the information you have on the Grounds of Rebirth, and your family will be spared."_

"_Why? Why are you doing this, Chovanek? I thought you were my friend!"_

"_Then this will be a lesson to you – never trust a Czechoslovakian," Chovanek smiled. He turned to his men. "Start with the little one." He pointed at Theodore._

"_NOO!" Rachel screamed. The men started to approach little Theodore and Rachel stepped out in front of him. "Don't take my baby! Please! Leave my children alone! This is between you me and Leon! Take me instead of them!"_

"_As you wish," Chovanek smiled. The men grabbed Rachel and dragged her forward. _

"_NOO! MOTHER!" Hershel yelled, trying to fight the men off of her. One of the men pushed him back and he fell against the banister of the staircase. He fell unconscious._

_Leon ran over ad tried to fight them off also, but he was punched in the face and knocked unconscious. He was carried out by the two men while Chovanek grabbed Rachel by the hair and dragged her out too._

_Hershel stood in the newfound silence and stared after them. "Mummy..." he whispered._


	52. Memories - Murder

Chapter 51 – Memories – Murder

_**14**__**th**__** March, 1985**_

_In the months that passed after their kidnapping, Leon and Rachel were growing increasingly distant from each other. Leon was immersed in his work that he had been assigned, so that in return, he and his wife could be freed, and return home to their sons. Leon would rise early in the morning before Rachel would wake up and return home in the dead of night, with Rachel asleep on the sofa after trying in vain to stay awake waiting for him. To make matters worse for her, Rachel had been feeling horribly ill for some time, since around the time they had been kidnapped, and she was only getting worse. But she couldn't tell Leon, because he wasn't there._

* * *

_After some time, she gave up on waiting for Leon, and tried to preserve her health for the day that Leon would finish his work for Targent and they would be free to go home and be reunited with their lost children. Rachel hoped it would not be too long. She often cried herself to sleep at night, thinking about her two boys all alone in the world, with no loving mother or father to take care of them._

* * *

_After a few months, she had given up all hope of being united with her two boys. And all the while, she was getting sicker and sicker._

* * *

_After a few more months, she was bedridden. Leon had taken time out of Targent to look after her and try to find out the cause of her illness. It was only when the doctor told him that the results of her blood tests had confirmed that she had a dangerous amount of arsenic in her system that Leon knew the culprit; Chovanek._

_Apparently, his work hadn't been satisfactory enough; discovering the site of the fabled Grounds of Rebirth wasn't good enough for them. For some reason, they had failed to gain access and when Leon had tried to figure it out, he had also failed. It was only recently that he had been transferred to the team out in search of the great Azran sanctuary, I the hopes that his skills that he had used in finding the site itself could come to some use in finding the sanctuary. It was slow work, so Leon didn't have to work late nights anymore. It was then that he found out that his wife was ill and beyond the ability of getting ut of bed._

_Leon was then preoccupied with his wife for the weeks afterwards and this displeased the leader of Targent; Aleksander Chovanek. He knew that, so long as Rachel Bronev was alive, she would preoccupy her husband's thoughts whilst he worked, and hoped that he could poison her to death and make her husband think that she had died due to the poor keeping of her health since she had been separated from her children. He didn't know that Leon had a private acquaintance, a doctor, who specialised in that sort of thing. But he had been called too late._

_The damage that had been done to her liver was near fatal. It would have been anything from one more dose to ten that would kill Rachel. Leon was determined to discover the source of the poison, before even one more dose was administered. But he was too late._

_The source of the poison had been the milk, which had consequently been delivered to the flat in which they had been forced to live each day by an acquaintance of Chovanek's – a Targent mole playing the role of a milkman, poisoning Rachel each day. As her husband had been working such long hours, he had eaten each day at work, and hadn't touched the poisoned milk. But by the time this had been figured out, Rachel had already take the fatal dose, and lay in her bed with half-open eyes. Once this had been confirmed and the doctor had told him that his wife had little more than a few days left to live, Leon knelt beside the limp form of his dying wife and took her hand. He sighed._

"_I'm sorry, Rachel. It's my fault you're here. I dragged you into all this..."_

"_No, Leon. Don't say that. You didn't drag me into anything." She smiled. "I was always happy to be by your side. I just wish I could've seen the boys again, but... I've run out of time." She looked devastated._

_Leon glared out of the window. "I failed."_

"_No. I know you'll succeed."_

"_Hmm?" Leon looked up._

"_You'll fulfil your dream. Our dream." Rachel smiled again._

"_I can't..."_

"_You can. I believe in you... I won't be able to be by your side anymore, but... I'll always be... watching over you." She leaned back and closed her eyes gently as her breathing began to cease._

_Leon's eyes widened. "Rachel?" he gripped her hand, "Rachel! Don't leave me!" he leaned forward and rested his head on her chest. Tears poured down his cheeks as he felt the heartbeat of the one he loved fade away. Little... less... nothing. _

_Leon laid there, his head on his wife's unmoving chest. __**"How can I ever go on?"**__ he thought. __**"Rachel... she was all I had left in the world... and now she's gone..."**__ Leon held his wife tighter. "Chovanek," he whispered. He wanted that scum to feel all the pain he was feeling right now. He wanted him to lose his family and all those he loved, just to see how it felt. Angry, upset, and grieving, he laid here with his lover for some time before deciding to call the doctor. And ultimately deciding the next fifteen years of his life._

_Chovanek would pay, even if it took him fifty years to do it._


	53. Memories - The Fire

Chapter 52 – Memories – The Fire

_Chovanek would pay, even if it took him fifty years to do it._

* * *

_**It didn't take Bronev quite that long, but, after many years of biding his time, following orders in Targent, leading Chovanek into a false sense of security, he finally found the perfect opportunity to strike. But it wasn't going to be easy. In fact, it was quite the contrary...**_

* * *

_**25th August 1999**_

_Leon had been working for Targent for about sixteen years and had worked his way up the ranks and had made a friendly connection with Chovanek, after years of trying to gain his trust and constantly telling him that what he had done was 'for the greater good of finding the Azran'. He was chief lieutenant, second in command, and almost had full control over Targent. Almost. The only person standing in the way of his carefully formed plan was Chovanek. _

_Leon had it all figured out. He knew exactly how to gain control over Targent and get his sweet revenge for his kidnapping and the murder of his wife in one fell swoop. _

_But there was one problem. One very big problem._

_Leon was friends with Chovanek's wife; the very person he needed to kill in order for his plan to work. Leon had always been quite close to Paloma Altava; they had been pen friends since they were at school. Leon had stayed with her and her family when he went on a foreign exchange trip when he was sixteen. Leon had been invited to hers and Chovanek's wedding. Having been repositioned in Prague, after Chovanek had married his beloved Spanish girlfriend, for the sake of his work, Leon had visited Paloma in hospital ten years ago after she had given birth to her first child, a baby girl, who she had graciously named Emmeline after Rachel's middle name. Leon had also visited after the birth of her son, Daniel. And now he was going to kill them all._

_Leon debated on whether he should go through with his plan. After all, Paloma was a good friend of his and didn't deserve to die. She was completely unaware of her husband's true occupation, as he had told her that he had made all of his money through being a successful property developer, and that Leon was his partner, which was a downright lie. Chovanek and brutally murdering people and tearing families apart all the time, completely unbeknownst to his wife. Leon thought hard. __**"I want revenge on that man, but I don't want to kill my friend..."**_

_After a while, he had decided on his course of action._

_And we all know the tragic results of his decision._

* * *

_**26**__**th**__** August 1999**_

_Everything had been planned out to the letter. Chovanek would be away in Ireland to review the Grounds of Rebirth and to see if anyone had missed anything.__ Leaving Leon in charge. Paloma had gone on her yearly visit to her sister's place in Santiago Del Compostella. Leon's next destination. His flight was booked. He would get the necessary materials upon his arrival. He had ensured that everything at Targent headquarters would hold over until he got back. _

_He was ready. _

_Physically ready._

_But not mentally ready._

* * *

_**27**__**th**__** August 1999**_

_Leon was outside the Van De Garde house. The home of Juanita Van De Garde, Paloma's sister. He was armed with everything he needed to set the fire. All security cameras in the area had been dismantled and stolen. All he needed was for the back door to be unlocked so that he could sneak in and set the trap, escaping afterwards. He wore nylon gloves and a black mask. No one would recognise him. No one would be able to prove it was him._

_Right on cue, the door opened, and a teenage girl, who looked around thirteen, took a bag of rubbish out and put it into a trashcan. She returned inside, and didn't shut the door behind her. __**"Perfect,"**__ Leon thought, approaching the door cautiously. _

_He suddenly heard voices again and ducked in behind a trashcan. The teenage girl exited, with a twin buggy with a baby and a young toddler in it and a little girl beside her. A very familiar little girl. Leon's heart sank. __**"Emmeline..."**__ he thought._

_They four children walked off down the road towards their local park. Leon emerged from behind the trashcan and sighed heavily. He began to doubt his plan again for the hundredth time. __**"I can't kill the girl if she's not in the house. I'll have killed her mother... she'll be a half orphan..."**__ And yet, his body had different ideas to his mind, as it wandered into the open back door and into the kitchen._

_He reached into his rucksack and pulled out a candle and a line. He attached one end of the line to the end of the candle, and the other end to the gas cooker. He then pulled out a lighter. His hand shook as he did this. He suddenly heard voices again. Paloma was chatting away to her sister in Spanish._

"_I had to keep Daniel here, I think he has a temperature..." was a rough translation of Paloma's voice. He heard footsteps approaching the kitchen, but didn't wait to see who entered. He had already lit the candle and ran out the back door without a backwards glance._

_He ran down the road, taking care to slow down and blend with a group of tourists whenever he saw what he assumed to be a local. His heart hammered with the guilt of what he had just done. He looked over at the park and saw Emmeline again, being pushed on a swing by the teenage girl, laughing and swinging back and forth happily, completely unaware of what had happened. For now. _

_Leon sighed. __**"What have I done?"**__ he asked himself. __**"What have I done to those poor children over there?"**_

_And before he could think any more about it, he heard it. The explosion that changed everything, for him and those children. And especially for Chovanek._

_His plan had worked perfectly, and yet Leon still let a tear pour down his face. His plan had worked perfectly; Chovanek had now lost his wife and son and would have to live with it for the rest of his life. And Leon would soon be the leader of Targent. As soon as he got his alibi to check out and his 'innocence' proven to Chovanek, he would ask Chovanek to step down as leader, for 'his own sake', and Leon would take over._

_And yet, right now, Leon's thought's stayed with young Emmeline, who was left with nothing in all of this but an evil father who wouldn't be able to look after her. Leon knew that much._

_His plan had worked perfectly, and yet he still felt ten times as miserable as he did the previous day._


	54. The Other Culprit

Chapter 53 – The Other Culprit

Tears poured down Bronev's face as he finished his explanation. Everyone sat in silence, apart from Emmy, who cried also. Vaughan merely sat at the head of the table, observing the scene before him. Not a sign of emotion could be read from his face. Not even a trace of guilt for what he had done to Bronev, or even Emmy. He watched in expressionlessly while his daughter cried bitterly over how things are.

The professor held Emmy tightly as she cried uncontrollably into his shoulder, unable to contr0l her tears. Bronev reached for Emmy's hand, but she pulled away angrily.

"You lied to me..." she whimpered. " You lied for all these years..."

"I'm sorry..." Bronev choked.

"I'VE BEEN HATING HIM FOR SO LONG WHEN I SHOULD'VE BEEN HATING YOU!" Emmy screamed, standing up.

The professor grabbed her arm, but she pulled away from him too. "I need to be alone," she choked out, running for the door.

Bronev rested his head in his hands as Emmy slammed the door after her. Jai leaned over and patted Bronev's shoulder.

"She'll be fine," Jai told him. "She'll know eventually that it wasn't all your fault."

"That's right," Desmond said, making Bronev look up. "It... it was him. He... he killed mother..." Desmond turned to give Vaughan a pained look. Vaughan didn't even look back at him.

"It's not all their fault that we're in this situation, though," the professor said, standing up again.

Vaughan looked up at him. "What on earth do you mean, Layton?" he sneered.

"Well, it's quite simple, really," Layton replied, pacing the room at his leisure. "I already know that there was really someone else behind the scenes plotting your use of the Grounds of Rebirth all the time."

"What?" Bronev asked sharply.

"Oh! I know! I remember!" Flora exclaimed eagerly.

"That's right, my dear," Layton smiled at her. He then turned back to the rest of them.

"Earlier today, Flora made a rather important discovery about the second spy I mentioned earlier."

"Really? What?" Luke asked.

"I'm getting to that, my boy. But first, I had better explain Vaughan's full plan."

"Right," Grosky said, nudging Gibson as a signal for him to put away the handcuffs that he had taken out moments before.

"Vaughan had never intended to use the Grounds of Rebirth for monetary of financial gain. He only had that incentive when he worked for Targent. But after Bronev took over, he had very little interest in archaeology left. He only had one area of interest left – the Grounds of Rebirth. The very discovery that, when activated would bring his wife and son back from the dead and give Emmy an incentive to return home."

"But why did she leave home in the first place?" Stacey asked.

"Because _**he**_ ran out on her when it got too difficult to look after her," Carla snarled, pointing at Vaughan.

Vaughan frowned. "What? Ran out? She was the one who did the leaving. She left with Bronev when he came to the house, and I'd seen nothing of her until eighteen months ago."

Carla frowned as the professor sighed heavily. Now was probably a better time to tell them, while Emmy wasn't there to witness it.

"Er... Emmy told me the truth about that. Well, some of the story, but I think I managed to piece together the rest of it by now." The professor looked at Vaughan, who was glaring at him, and shaking his head, and continued. "Emmy told me that after her mother's death... you... got upset and angry... and you used to take it out on her. You used to... to... beat her..."

"Yes."

Everyone turned to stare at Vaughan now. Don Paolo shook his head.

"I don't know who to punch first, Bronev, or him." He shook his head. "You both disgust me."

"After about a year, I think the guilt of what he had done was too much for Bronev, so he went to visit Vaughan here out of supposed concern for his old friend, when in truth he just wanted to see how Emmy was getting on without her mother. And when he saw that she was being abused by her father, he immediately took her away with him, to help her and atone for his crime."

Celeste nodded. "And the rest is history," she said.

The professor nodded back. "You knew all about this, didn't you?"

"Bits and pieces, yes," Celeste replied. "I knew that Vaughan is Emmeline's father, and that Bronev killed Paloma and Daniel Chovanek, but that's it."

"I thought so," the professor nodded.

"Wait – you knew? All along? Why didn't you tell us?" Luke asked, outraged.

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Celeste said simply. "My only job here was to support Bronev here and Emmeline."

"Anyway, as I was saying, Vaughan only wanted to use the Grounds of Rebirth to resurrect his family. Nothing else. But there was someone else who masterminded the whole scheme of putting spies into the resistance and stealing the artefacts. The so-called crimes that were committed by Vaughan, such as the threatening of Luke and his parents, the blowing up of the school and so on were committed only to terrify Luke, which would in turn worry Emmy and get her stressed, which in turn would upset Bronev, as he has been the one taking care of Emmy since she started taking medication after being released from her kidnapping."

"Kidnapping?" Vinnie asked. "What kidnapping?"

"Vaughan held Emmeline captive while you were sleeping around with that one over there," Celeste sad coldly, pointing over at Stacey. "She came back for support, and all she got was Stacey in her face, bragging about how she had slept with you."

Stacey went red. She looked at her feet.

"_Anyway,_" the professor said loudly, not really wanting to hear about other people's sex lives, "All Vaughan wanted to do was scare Emmy into doing whatever he wanted and to get revenge on Bronev by taking Emmy away from him and upsetting her, as he knew that Bronev had grown extremely fond of Emmy."

"Yes," Bronev sighed. "I love that girl as if she was my own." _**"I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me after all this,"**_ he thought desperately.

"But there was someone else that formed the whole plan about sending spies in the resistance. There was someone else that took care of the whole planning side of getting Clive to steal the artefacts. There is someone that told you that the Grounds of Rebirth would bring Paloma and Daniel back to life, even though this person knew full well of that they wouldn't work. This person has been spying on the resistance since the very beginning, keeping a close eye on Jai, and Aurora, and me and Emmy too, biding their time. This person had us all deceived."

"Dangers... what dangers?" Vaughan asked. "I thought it was fail-safe?"

"Then you're an idiot," Jai snapped. "I told you at the very beginning that it wouldn't work, you naive little toad. I told all of you, but none of you will listen."

"This person... you mean..." Vaughan stared in horror at the culprit.

"That's right," the professor nodded, staring at her too.

"Everyone turned to stare at her also. Andrea glared back.

"What have you got to say for yourself now, McIntyre?" Brenda snarled.

Andrea said nothing. She just glared at everyone else in the room.

"But ... Why?" Vaughan choked. "We had a deal, but you knew it would all go wrong! You lied to me! Why? WHY?!" Vaughan rose from his seat and walked over to Andrea, grabbing her by the front of her shirt. No one even made a move to stop him, not even Grosky, Tony or Gibson. Everyone was to shocked.

"Because I knew that Emmy Altava is your daughter and that she was seeing Hershel Layton," Andrea snarled. "The only man I ever loved."

Brenda scoffed at this as Andrea continued. "I wanted your daughter to suffer, so that Layton would see how much of a pathetic, weak little girl she really is."

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY LITTLE GIRL LIKE THAT!" Vaughan roared, whacking Andrea across the face. She fell to one side, gasping.

"Right! That's it!" Grosky yelled, getting up. "Aleksander Chovanek, I am arresting you for the former conduct of an illegal organisation, the kidnapping of Leon and Rachel Bronev, the murder of Rachel Bronev, the threatening of several residents of the surrounding cork area, the abuse of your daughter and the assault of that young lady there! You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not answer when questioned something in which you will later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Gibson, Johnson, book this young lady and mister Bronev over there."

"Wait! The grounds! The Grounds of Rebirth! I have to see! I have to know what they do!" Vaughan cried, wrestling Grosky off of him.

"Yes, I know that they don't work, but I really don't see what's so dangerous about them, myself," Andrea frowned.

"What harm can burying someone do?" Desmond asked. "I think you are delving into a myth there, Jai."

Jai sighed. _**"Idiots,"**_ she thought furiously. _**"Imbeciles. They know nothing."**_ "Fine," she said. "You will not listen to me. Yo believe that am so very bad, and that you are so very good. All I have tried to do is protect all of you, but I see now that you all have to have something shoved up under your noses for you to realise that it is real. Let them go," she said to the officers.

Tony, Gibson and Grosky all let go of Bronev, Vaughan and Andrea. Jai then handed one artefact to Bronev, another to Vaughan, and another to Desmond and the last to the professor.

"Bronev, you know the location of the Grounds of Rebirth. We shall all meet there tomorrow morning, and then you will see what I am really talking about." Jai turned to the door. When she grasped the handle and opened the door, she called back to them. "Don't say that I didn't warn you."


	55. Emotion

Chapter 54 – Emotion

Randall groaned as the traffic lights turned red again. "You stupid lights!" he roared. "We're already an hour late for the sit down! What are we supposed to do?!"

"Randall—" Angela began, pointing out the window.

"What on earth are Hershel and everyone else going to think?!" Randall exclaimed angrily.

"But Randall—"

"I'm sure that when we explain the traffic situation, everyone else will understand," Henry assured him.

"Randall, look! Over there! It's Emmy!"

Randall looked out of the window. Emmy was running down the street, pushing random passersby out of her way. Angela opened the car door and got out.

"You two stay here and keep the engine running. I'll be back in a minute." Angela slammed the door shut and took off after Emmy.

Randall smiled and rolled his eyes at Henry. "Women, eh?"

Henry smiled nervously and nodded.

* * *

"Emmy! EMMY!" Angela called, running after her. But Emmy wasn't listening.

Half blinded by tears, she ran down the street as fast as she could. _**"why? Why is this happening to me? Why do these things always happen to me?" **_was all she could think as she ran. She didn't know where she was going, or why; all she knew was that she wanted to run, and keep running, and never look back.

She suddenly bashed into someone and was knocked to the ground. The person immediately started to yell at her.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU STUPID COW! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU THINKING OF, YOU STUPID BITCH?!" he roared.

Emmy whimpered from down on the floor. Her head flooded with memories of her father. _**"... you're nothing but a stupid little shit... your mother would turn in her grave... I loved Daniel more than I ever loved you..."**_ Emmy thought about her uncle. _**"It's alright now dear. You're safe now. I've got you. I'm here. Uncle Leon is here..."**_

Emmy felt someone grab her upper arms and haul her to her feet. She felt the person wrap their arms around her, just as her beloved uncle did, years ago. "Uncle Leon," she whimpered, her eyes shut tight.

"Emmy? What's wrong? Are you okay? What's happened?" was all Emmy could hear.

She was shaking as she opened her eyes. Angela was staring back at her, with an expression of worry and fear on her face. She had never seen Emmy like this before.

"Emmy, what happened at the sit down? Did something happen to Bronev?"

Emmy tried to speak, but a lump caught in her throat and she was unable to speak. She could emit whimpers and shudders.

Angela held Emmy tighter as she leaded her back to the car. "It's alright, dear. You're safe now. I've got you." Angela rubbed Emmy's back as they approached the car.

They got in and Randall peered anxiously at Emmy. "What happened?" he mouthed to Angela, who shrugged.

Emmy slumped against the window and tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, without success. Angela shuffled over next to her and hugged her. Randall and Henry looked at each other knowingly and turned back to Angela.

"I'm hungry," Randall said. "And so is Henry. And I bet you are too, Angie. Are you, Emmy? Or are you thirsty? Would you like some water?"

Emmy nodded and Randall and Henry left the car, promising to return shortly. Angela shook her head and turned back to Emmy, who was still trying to stifle her crying. Angela rubbed her arm.

"Why don't you talk to me, now that they're gone? Hmm?"

Emmy whimpered some more and her body began to jerk violently. Angela gave her a quick squeeze. "Its okay, Emmy. You can tell me anything. You take deep breaths now." She began to stroke Emmy's hair.

"I-I-he-I—" she spluttered, heaving enormous sobs.

"Shh. It's okay. Deep breaths, now, deep breaths." Angela stroked Emmy's hair out of her face and looked into her eyes, wiping Emmy's tears away with her thumbs. Emmy looked back at her and tried to take deeper breaths.

"That's right," Angela, soothed, wrapping her arms around Emmy's shoulders. Emmy took deep shaky breaths as Angela soothed her. Neither of them broke eye contact.

Soon, Emmy had stopped crying, but her breathing was still uneasy. Emmy wrapped her arms around Angela's middle and snuggled into her shoulder. Angela kissed Emmy's hair.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" she asked gently.

Emmy nodded. "It... it was at the sit down... it... it was horrible..." tears started in Emmy's eyes again.

"What happened, sweetheart?" Angela asked, softly, playing with a strand of Emmy's hair.

"It's-its Vaughan. Vaughan is – is my... m-my father, and..." Emmy began to sob again.

Angela froze as Emmy began to cry. "Oh, god, you poor thing," she whispered. "Is that it?"

"N-no, I... I thought that Vaughan had b-burned down m-my aunt's h-house, b-but it wasn't... i-it was u-Uncle Leon..."Emmy started to sob uncontrollably again.

Angela tightened her grip on Emmy. It all made no sense to her.

Randall and Henry returned with food and water for Emmy, only to find her crying, in an even worse state than she appeared to be when they left. They found Angela looking very grave.

"Is... is there anything we can do...?" Henry asked, looking at Emmy anxiously.

"Drive," Angela said shortly. "We should get her home."

* * *

As soon as they had left the hotel, Bronev ran to the car, with Celeste in pursuit. They got in and Bronev quickly started the engine.

"Where are we going now?" Celeste asked.

"I have to find Emmeline," Bronev explained, tears still in his eyes. "I have to explain... it was never about her... I never did it to hurt her..."

Celeste took his hand in hers. "It's alright, Leon," she soothed. "Emmy will see sense eventually, but she is much disorientated right now. She needs time. Leave her be. Let Layton find her and take care of her, and we'll speak to her after this whole Grounds of Rebirth thing is finished with. Let her calm down and she'll be fine. You'll see."

"I... I'll go to prison for this... everything I've done... I'll never see Emmeline again..."

"You will," Celeste reassured him. "I promise."

"They'll take me away after we go to the grounds..."

"Then I'll take you in the morning. She'll be alright. I'll go and check on her this evening and report back." Celeste let go of Bronev's hand. "Come now. You're in no fit state to drive. Let me."

* * *

The professor drove down the street. His pace was slow due to heavy traffic, and this gave him plenty of time to think. There was only one thing on his mind right now; Emmy.

The poor girl had been through so much, and had hardly been given enough time to get over what had happened to her last before being hurt all over again. The image of her distraught face was stuck in his mind. The tortured sound of her voice played in his ears; _**"I'VE BEEN HATING HIM FOR SO LONG WHEN I SHOULD'VE BEEN HATING YOU!"**_

"_**I caused all of this,"**_he thought as he drove on another little bit. _**"If I had only kept my mouth shut..."**_

Another voice in his head, his logical side, began to speak. _**"You would only have been prolonging the agony. She had to find out one day, you know..."**_ and he was right. As usual. The professor sighed. _**"Sometimes, being right is a painful business... and today has taught me that, if nothing else..."**_

The professor wanted to hold Emmy, and make her feel better, even if it was only a little bit. She had cried so much today and seeing her run off with yet more tears running down her face was too much for the professor to bear. Her pretty face, even pretty when it was tear-stained... her gorgeous, beautiful face... distraught and screwed up with the pain of betrayal... and yet, the professor didn't feel that anyone was really to blame.

Except for Andrea.

She knew the grounds wouldn't work, and yet she went ahead with her charade.

And yet, even if she didn't go ahead with it, Vaughan may have kidnapped Emmy in America anyway, and she would still be a mess. The professor sighed as he turned off down the motorway, away from the infuriating traffic lights and down the road that would lead him to home. Or what had been home for him and Flora for the past two and a half months. He realised how much he missed walking down the more-or-less calm streets of London, with nothing troublesome to worry about, and how he missed the lectures at the university, and his office. He missed the little he saw of his home, and the quiet evenings he spent with Flora, helping her with homework, talking to her about her problems, being the father he had always wanted to be. But now that he realised it, recently he and Flora had been growing more and more distant.

He also realised that once he got back to London, everything would have changed. He would have Emmy to take care of as well as Flora. And once Emmy had recovered from her ordeal, he would be exploring his relationship with her, in more ways than one.

The two hours he spent driving home went quickly with the thoughts running through his mind, about the future he had yet to experience with Emmy, all the good and bad times that were ahead. As he pulled up at the Triton's house, he knew that it was finally time to face the present.

He entered the house to hear talking in the living room. He entered to find everyone else in there discussing what had happened at the hotel. Everyone but Emmy.

Everyone stopped talking as soon as the professor entered.

"Where is Emmy?" he asked.

"She went upstairs to lie down, I think," Brenda said. She sighed. "She was in such a state."

"I'll speak with her," the professor said, turning to leave.

"I talked to her, and she told me everything," Angela said, a pitiful expression on her face. "The poor thing was having a panic attack."

"Thank you, for being there for her," the professor said, turning to smile at Angela appreciatively. "I'm glad that you found her before anyone else did." He left and headed upstairs.

When he reached the door of the spare room, he could hear her sobbing her heart out. He sighed. He pushed the door open to find Emmy sprawled out on the bed, in tears. Her face was buried into the pillow, and she was crying beyond anything the professor had ever seen before. He closed the door and sat beside her, stroking her hair.

She lifted her head up from the pillow and looked pitifully at him. "Help me," she croaked. "Please help me. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it..." she sat up and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

The professor laid back and cradled Emmy gently. "It's okay," he whispered. "You talk to me, dear, you tell me everything that is going through your mind..."

But Emmy was sobbing too hard to speak. She was a complete mess.

The professor's gaze was drawn to Emmy's bag on the floor. It was open and he spotted her pills inside. He glanced at her nervously and said, "Do you need to take your pills?"

Emmy took a deep breath and nodded. He spotted a bottle of water on the bed and picked it up. He took Emmy's pills out of her bag and handed them to her. She tried to sit up shakily.

The professor put his arm around her back and supported her upright. She tried to open her pills, but her hands shook violently. The professor took them and popped one out. He opened the bottle and handed them to her.

Emmy carefully put the pill into her mouth and gulped down some water. She choked and swallowed. She took deep breaths as the professor lowered her back down on the bed. He laid down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to calm down. A while later, she had stopped crying and shaking, and laid there, her face still wet from the tears.

"I'm sorry," she croaked. "I'm so sorry for being like this..."

Th professor kissed her on the cheek gently. "Don't ever be sorry for feeling something. That is what we are meant to do. You are only human, Emmy."

Emmy sniffed. She held the Professor tighter. "You're the only one who knows how I feel. You're the only one who understands... after you found out that Uncle Leon was your father..."

"That's right," the professor soothed. "I understand you, Emmy. And I'm glad. I'm glad that you've finally given me the chance to know you, Emmy."

"I'm weak..."

"No. You're the exact opposite. You've been through more today than anyone else in this house has in a whole lifetime, and yet here you are, still standing strong."

"I'm crying..."

"And you show more strength in your tears than you do in beating people up, Emmy. It's okay to feel afraid sometimes, and it's perfectly natural to cry. Human's are able to cry for a reason, Emmy, and that is the reason why you're crying now."

Emmy gave him a watery smile, which he returned. He held her tighter.

"I love you, Emmeline Altava. No matter who your father is, or how much you cry. You'll always be strong and beautiful to me, no matter what anyone says or does to try to prove me wrong." He leaned forward and kissed Emmy's lips. "I love you. My angel." He kissed her again.

Emmy smiled wider and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I'm so glad you're here... I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you by my side, Hershel..."

The professor smiled back. "I don't want to be anywhere else." He kissed her nose.

Emmy laughed. The professor laughed too.

There was a knock on the door and Brenda entered with two dished of roast lamb and two cups of tea on a tray. She smiled at Emmy's happy face. "I'm so glad you're feeling better," she beamed, handing Emmy her plate.

Emmy smiled gratefully at Brenda. "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me."

Brenda handed the tray to the professor, leaned forward and hugged Emmy tightly. Emmy hugged back, beaming. "Luke is such a lucky boy; he really is, to have such a wonderful mother like you."

They let go of each other. Brenda didn't know what to say. She just smiled at Emmy. "I... I... thank you." Brenda kissed Emmy's forehead and left the room.

The professor beamed at Emmy as she began to eat. He placed the cups of tea on the bedside table and began to eat as well.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and Brenda, who was on her way down the stairs, opened it. Celeste stood on the doorstep. Brenda glared.

"I must speak to Emmeline," Celeste said.

"No." Brenda made to shut the door when Celeste quickly stepped in.

"Please. I just need to know if she's okay."

"She has only just calmed down, no thanks to you."

"Listen to me. I only kept that from her because I knew it would break her heart. And Bronev told me that in confidence, so I was legally not allowed to tell her. I need to check on her—"

"For Bronev. I know. Please leave." Brenda sounded cold.

"Look. Try to see this from Bronev's perspective, please."

"That man cannot just go around murdering the families of people he doesn't like—"

"It was more than that, and you know it," Celeste snapped. "Look, I'm not saying that what Bronev did was right, far from it, but Vaughan isn't entirely innocent himself. He abused Emmeline as a child, and held her captive for a year and a half. He had been terrorising her for years and the only person who has been there for her is Bronev."

Brenda sighed.

"That girl means the world to him. She is all the family that he has left. After Rachel was killed, he was broken. But when Emmeline came into his life, everything changed. He felt that he had something to live for. He loved her more than anyone else. He still does. But, if he loses her, he could lose himself... forever. Please, just let me see her, for Bronev's sake."

Brenda said nothing. She just stepped aside.

"Thank you." Celeste made her way upstairs.

She stopped at the door of the spare room and hesitated. She reached for the handle, but the door opened and the professor faced her. "Celeste..." he said, surprised. Emmy looked up. The Professor turned to Emmy. "Do you want to speak to her?"

And to Celeste's relief, Emmy nodded. The professor smiled at Emmy. "I'll just run your bath. Shout if you need me." He went into the bathroom.

Celeste entered the spare room and sat down beside Emmy. "You've got him well trained," she teased. Emmy smiled.

Celeste cleared her throat. "I... I'm so sorry... I couldn't tell you..."

"It's okay," Emmy said. "I know it's not your fault."

Celeste smiled at her and took her hand. "But ... what about you're Uncle Leon..."

"I..." Emmy trailed off. "I'm not ready to see him yet. Tomorrow, maybe..."

"Good girl," Celeste beamed. "He wants to come tomorrow morning, is that okay?"

Emmy nodded. "I..."

"Yes?"

"I don't want him to go to prison. I know what he did was wrong, but... he's suffered enough. He needs to get on with his life."

"I know," Celeste whispered.

"I can deal with Grosky, but the other two..."

"It's not their place to decide that. If the local authorities haven't been informed, then there is nothing that can be done yet. If I speak to Grosky and send him to you, you think you can get him to reconsider?"

"He's my friend. But I'm not really sure how far he'll go to help me. He lives for the police."

Celeste sighed. "Well, we have to try, don't we?"

Emmy nodded.

The professor returned with a dressing gown for Emmy. "Are you ready, my dear?" he asked.

"Yes. I was just leaving. Thank you, for being so civil with me after I've kept so much from you. Everything will be okay, I promise." Celeste hugged Emmy and left.

The professor handed the gown to Emmy and smiled at her. "I'll leave you to it," he said. "I just need to have a word with Celeste."

"After that, will you come up and sit with me?" Emmy asked, taking his hand.

The professor smiled and kissed her forehead. "You don't even need to ask."

Emmy went into the bathroom as the professor followed Celeste downstairs.

"Celeste, wait!" he cried as she reached for the door handle. She turned around and faced him.

"So, Bronev is coming tomorrow?" he asked.

"You were listening?" Celeste asked.

"Emmy is very fragile; I had to keep an eye on her. You understand."

"Yes, I do. And yes, Bronev wants to speak with Emmeline tomorrow morning, before we set off for the grounds."

The professor sighed. "I don't think we should go to the grounds. We should heed Jai's warning; I have a terrible feeling about this."

"Come now, Hershel, I don't think anyone can bring back the dead. What ham can burying a body do? And besides, when it doesn't work, everyone can put this terrible ordeal behind them and move on."

"I suppose so," the professor said, still unsure.

"And don't worry about Emmeline. She's been through worse, and I think she knows that it isn't all Bronev's fault."

"Yes. I heard her say that she didn't want him to go to prison, and that she wanted to talk to Grosky."

"Do you think he'll be sent down?"

"That is probable, considering what he has done. But he won't get life, as he was in a mental state when he committed the crime. He may not even get a very long sentence."

"Yes, I know. But I still worry that any sort of stretch in prison will break Bronev for good."

"We will have to see, I suppose."

Celeste smiled. "I'm sure Bronev will appreciate that you're trying to see this from his side as well as Vaughan's. Thank you." She opened the door and left.

"I don't trust her."

The professor turned around and saw Luke standing at the door. He looked very sullen.

"Why not? She has a very good reason for keeping that from us, as did Emmy for keeping her relationship with Vaughan a secret."

"I don't know who to trust anymore, Professor. We're all scared of who'll be revealed as a traitor next. No one knows what'll happen next. And I'm not sure that Emmy van take much more either." Luke looked sad.

The professor patted his shoulder. "I think it'll all be over tomorrow, after we pay a visit to these infamous grounds." The professor frowned and nodded. "I'm sure of it."


	56. Memories - When I Found You

Chapter 55 – Memories – When I found you

Emmy turned in her sleep,moaning slightly. She smiled as she felt someone's hand brush against her cheek. She opened her eyes a fraction and saw the silhouette of a top hat against the rays of sun coming in the window. She grinned and held out her arms. The professor hugged her tightly and kissed her neck. They laid together for a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet, and each other's embrace. They broke apart and the professor smiled at Emmy.

"Good morning," he whispered. "I trust that you slept well?"

Emmy beamed and nodded. "Yep. I slept like a baby in here with you. I hope Luke didn't mind us kicking him out of his room for the night."

"Not at all. Helping young ladies like you is the duty of every gentleman."

Emmy stopped and smiled again. She remembered the first time he had ever said that to her. The first time she had ever looked at him. The way she used to stare at his picture in the paper like a love-sick puppy...

Emmy sat up and hugged the professor again. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you so much. She kissed him on the cheek and began to work her way towards his mouth. The professor kissed her back and laid down on top of her.

"Er..."

The professor quickly got up off of Emmy, his face reddening slightly. Luke stood awkwardly at the door, staring.

"Er... Celeste and Bronev are here, and they want to talk to you, Emmy."

"We'll be down in a moment, Luke," the professor said.

"Send Uncle Leon up here," Emmy said. The professor looked at her, surprised. Emmy stared back at him and nodded. "I need to speak with him, before we go into the grounds. Please."

"If... if that is what you wish," the professor frowned. "But if you need me, you know that I'm here, right/"

Emmy smiled at him. "Of course."

"Alright then." The professor kissed Emmy on the cheek again. "Come Luke; let's leave Emmy to it." He got up and left with Luke in tow.

Emmy laid back down again and sighed. How was she going to face her uncle after finding out the truth? She had gotten so upset yesterday... it was so painful... too painful. And her uncle didn't even show his face. All he said was that he was sorry and not to hate him. Emmy had no idea what he was going to say, or what she was going to say to him. She pulled her covers closer to herself and curled up into a ball. She had never been so scared to see her uncle before. Tears started in her eyes, but she blinked them back. _**"Not today, Emmy, not today..."**_

"Emmeline?"

Emmy looked over to the door and saw Bronev standing there, poking his head around the door. Emmy nodded and he entered. He sat down on the bed beside her. Emmy shuffled away from him. He sighed.

"Emmeline..." he said gently, reaching out to stroke her hair, but she pushed his arm back. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. She just wanted him to go.

Bronev took her hand and held it, but Emmy shrugged it out of his grip. Tears had started in her eyes again and began to run down her face, no matter how much she tried to wipe them away. Bronev took to smoothing the covers on the bed. He said nothing; he just smoothed his hand over the sheets until there were no creases left.

"You know that I love you, Emmeline."

Emmy said nothing; she just looked away as she wiped away more tears. Bronev began to smooth the covers over her leg. Emmy looked up and their eyes met. Bronev looked into her teary eyes and sighed. He reached over and stroked her hair, and this time Emmy didn't push him away. She took a deep breath. Bronev smiled at her.

"Come here." he held his arms out. "Please. I just want to hold you again. I love you, Emmeline."

Emmy sniffed. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Bronev smiled wider and stroked her hair.

"Why..." Emmy whimpered. "Why have you done this to me? Why did you kill them? All of them? Why?" shaky sobs emitted from her as she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Emmeline. I'm so, so sorry, I really am." He rested his head on hers and sighed. "But you have to realise that all of this was never about you. I didn't do what I did to get to you. I didn't even know you properly at the time, you remember. I… I was ill…" Bronev trailed off. He tightened his grip on Emmy. "After I lost Rachel, everything in my life went wrong. I had already lost my two sons to him, and losing Rachel to him was just too much for me. I was hell-bent on getting revenge, and it blinded me of how much you were suffering. I only realised how much you would be hurting after I did it, but of course it was too late then."

"Why? Why did you come and get me if you hated my father so much?" Emmy asked, holding Bronev tighter.

"After I killed your mother and Daniel, I felt for you. I saw you and the Van De Garde's going back to the house, and you were happy. That was what tugged on my heartstrings. Seeing you so happy and completely unaware of the misery that was about to befall you. That hurt more than anything else…"

* * *

_**14**__**th**__** October 2000**_

"_N-No... p-please don't h-hurt me..." the little girl whimpered._

_She cowered in the corner as the man closed in on her. He had a furious expression on his face._

"_How fucking dare you..." he whispered._

"_Daddy..." she cried._

"_HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO HIM! HOW DARE YOU TELL HIM! YOU DON'T EVER TAKE SIDES AGAINST THE FAMILY! EVER!"_

_The little girl screamed as the man grabbed her and slapped her across the face._

"_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" he screamed, hitting her repeatedly._

"_DADDY NO!" the girl screamed, but the man didn't stop. Blood poured out of her nose and her face began to swell up, but the man still did not cease in hitting the girl._

"_DADDY!"_

_Chovanek threw his daughter to the ground. He picked up his jacket from the floor and headed for the door._

"_And don't think I'm finished with you," he spat, slamming the door behind him._

_Emmeline laid there on the floor, tears running down her face. "Mummy…" she whimpered._

* * *

_Bronev sat down on the bench and watched as Chovanek left his house. The man looked furious, and considering that his daughter was the only person with whom he had been in contact all day, Bronev suspected that his suspicions of the man had been correct. His men, who had been watching the man since the death of his wife, had been right. Chovanek had indeed been abusing his daughter._

_And it was all Bronev's fault._

_The poor girl was suffering beyond anything she had ever felt before, when all she deserved was to be normal and play like every child had the right to. _

_And it was Bronev's duty (purely out of sheer guilt for having ruined her life) to return that right to her._

_His plan was simple; go in, get the girl, leave, hand her in to social services in London, claiming that he had found her on the streets outside his house. Then she would be properly taken care of and, hopefully, recover from her ordeal._

_Bronev looked on to see that Chovanek was by now a reasonable distance from the house, and decided to go in. He ran up to the door and knocked. He heard a groan from inside. The girl. Without as moment's hesitation, he kicked the door in. he ran in and looked around. _

_He heard crying coming from the lounge and entered to see the girl on the floor. But he could barely recognise her. _

_She was skin and bone, heavily malnourished, and covered in bruises. She wept quietly on the floor, physically weakened by her father's abuse. The polar opposite from the happy and carefree girl he had seen no less than a year ago._

_One thought ran through Bronev's mind; __**"I should have come sooner."**__ He sighed heavily as he knelt beside the girl._

_The girl whimpered, trying to back away from him. "Don't hurt me," she whispered._

_Bronev leaned forward and stroked her hair. __"It's alright now dear," he whispered."You're safe now. I've got you. I'm here. Uncle Leon is here..."__he wrapped his arms around her thin body and picked her up.""I'm going to take you to a new home, with people who will take proper are of you. Your daddy wil never hurt you again, I promise." He kissed her bruised head. He carried her out of the apartment, where many people had crowded around, trying to figure out the cause of all the commotion. Bronev ran past them all and carried Emmeline away, away from all the bad memories, away to something much better. _

* * *

_When he got into his car and had driven out of the town, Emmeline asked, "Where are you taking me? Can I come and live with you?"_

_Bronev's heart nearly stopped when she asked this. The daughter of his sworn enemy, come and live with him? It was crazy... Bronev looked into the girl's pleading eyes._

"_I don't want to go back to daddy," she whispered. Her eyes began to water, which finalised Bronev's decision._

"_Of course you can, my dear."_


	57. The Entrance

Chapter 56 – The Entrance

"So... you just felt sorry for me... the whole time..." Emmy whispered; her face still buried into Bronev's shoulder.

"No. Only at the start. But... I suppose as time went on... as I watched you grow stronger and bigger... I grew to love you. I loved the way that when you came to live with me, the whole house seemed like a happier place. I wasn't on my own anymore. I had you to keep me company and happy, no matter what. This made me feel better. You made me happy for so many years, and you still do. Every time I look at you, I think about everything you've done for me, even if you don't realise it, and how much I love yu. That is why I never told you the truth, because I never ever wanted to hurt you. I... I'm so sorry, Emmeline." He kissed her hair.

Emmy hugged him tighter. "I... I know. I know it's not your fault."

"Please. Please don't hate me, Emmeline."

"I don't hate you Uncle Leon," Emmy sighed. "I hate everything you've done wrong, but I can't hate you. I want to, but I can't. I suppose... I love you too much to hate you." Emmy pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

Bronev stared back at her. He stroked her cheek. "Don't hate me," he whispered. "Love me. We'll get through this, together. You and me. But we need to stick together, to show your father that we'll be looking out for each other no matter what he does. He wants you back with him, Emmeline, its all part of his plan. I know it."

"But ... I thought he only wanted the grounds to bring mum and Daniel back? Hershel told me that it as Andrea who was really behind it." Emmy frowned.

"Your father wants his family back. And that includes you, Emmeline."

Emmy sat frowning. Bronev kissed her on the cheek.

"I won't let him hurt you again," he promised. "I won't let him touch you. But you have to trust me again, Emmeline. Do you trust me?"

Emmy looked into his desperate eyes. She saw the sadness and despair in his eyes. "I trust you." She leaned forward and kissed her uncle on the lips.

Bronev smiled, wrapping his arms back around her. They hugged again briefly.

Bronev stood up again when they broke apart. "You had better get dressed. We're meeting Jai, Desmond and your father at the grounds in an hour. I'll leave you to it." He left the room.

Emmy sighed and got up. "How do I always get into these situations?"

* * *

Luke sat at the bottom of the stairs, scowling. Bronev was still there with Emmy. Luke didn't like that one bit. He had heard Emmy crying last night as she spoke to the professor. Emmy had cried over him. Luke had never trusted Bronev, and now he had proven Luke right. Bronev could not be trusted.

Flora emerged from the kitchen and sat next to Luke. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been really quiet all morning."

"Bronev's still up there," Luke replied sullenly. "I think he's upsetting Emmy again."

"Have you heard anything?" Flora asked.

"No. But the man killed her family! How could she not get upset?"

"That's true." Flora sighed.

"I don't trust him one bit. The man's a monster."

The two fell silent as Bronev emerged from Luke's room. Luke glared as Bronev descended the stairs. He passed without even looking at the two.

"I'm going to see Emmy," Luke decided, getting up. Flora followed him into his room.

* * *

When they entered, Emmy was standing in front of the mirror, still in her nightgown. She looked up as Luke entered. She frowned. "Why are you in here when I am getting changed?" she asked.

"What did Bronev say to you?" Luke asked. Flora nudged him in the ribs.

"Not a lot. Why?" Emmy looked at him quizzically.

"I don't trust him, Emmy. I never trusted him."

"Well, he's my uncle, so I have to trust him," Emmy said calmly.

"But he—" Luke began.

"I love him, Luke," Emmy cut across him. "No matter what he does, or has done. He was unwell at the time; he had lost his wife and kids. But he got better when I came into his life, and he's fine now. He wants to make amends for what he has done."

Luke sighed.

"You'll understand when you're older, Luke." Emmy was smiling. "You're still too young to really understand what I'm thinking right now."

"What are you thinking?" Luke asked.

"I've loved Uncle Leon for most of my life, now. And, even after what he's done, I can't just stop loving him. All I can think about are the good things he's done for me. He adopted me when I didn't have a mummy or daddy to look after me. He bathed me and clothed me and put ointment on all the bruises my father made. He comforted me when I cried and he laid down next to me when I went to bed and had nightmares. And he kept doing all that for me, even up until recently, after Vaughan kidnapped me and I was ill after being locked up. That's why I can't stop loving him, Luke. That's why I can't hate him. And that's why I trust him."

Luke nodded. "... I understand."

Emmy smiled. "Good boy." She picked her trousers up off of the floor as Luke turned to leave. She smiled and shook her head. Flora looked on at this.

"So much for his little, "I never trusted him, I told you so speech."

Emmy smiled. "You have to remember that Luke is still a little boy. But I think he'll have a better understanding of all that as he gets older. After this whole Grounds of Rebirth thing is over."

Flora nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

Bronev sat down at the kitchen table beside Celeste. Everyone at the table looked very tense.

Emmy entered, with Luke and Flora in tow.

"Is everything alright?" the professor asked her, glancing at Bronev.

Emmy smiled. "Everything's fine," she beamed.

"Good."

"So, when are we setting off then?" Emmy asked.

"In about ten minutes. Would you like a bite to eat, Emmeline?" Bronev asked.

"No. I just want to get this over with." Emmy sat down beside the professor and took his hand in hers. He smiled and squeezed her fingers. Emmy smiled back at him. She turned back to her uncle.

"I think we ought to head off now, if Emmeline is ready, Bronev said, looking at Emmy. She nodded and stood up. The professor followed suit, as did Bronev.

"Let's go, then," Bronev said firmly. "Let's put an end to this once and for all."

* * *

In the back of the professor's hired car sitting beside Celeste, Emmy stared out the window absent-mindedly. She wondered what was to come. She wondered if there was another fight to come, or if they were just going to let her father bury his dead and see what happened, like Jai said. She remembered what Jai had said before she left the sit down; _"Fine. You will not listen to me. You believe that I am so very bad, and that you are so very good. All I have tried to do is protect all of you, but I see now that you all have to have something shoved up under your noses for you to realise that it is real. Bronev, you know the location of the Grounds of Rebirth. We shall all meet there tomorrow morning, and then you will see what I am really talking about. Don't say that I didn't warn you." _

Emmy shivered. She knew that, whether the Grounds of Rebirth worked or not, there were going to be hard times ahead. She knew that it would be painful having to face her father again, no matter what happened there. But... if her mother came back to life... she didn't know how she would react. Merely anticipating what as to come was terrifying her. And her brother... he was only a baby... Tears started in Emmy's eyes.

"Turn left here, we're nearly there now." Bronev looked back to see that Emmy was crying. He sighed.

"There." Celeste pointed up ahead.

Jai stood at the side of the road, awaiting their arrival. Aurora was with her, looking scared. Two black cars had also pulled up there, one belonging to Desmond and the other belonging to Vaughan. They got out of the car and joined Jai. The Triton's car pulled up also, and Clark, Brenda, Luke and Flora joined them.

"Is this everyone?" Jai asked.

The professor nodded curtly.

"I must warn you, it may be best if we left the children in the car. Things may get a little... well... very gruesome down there."

"Er... alright. Flora, Luke, get in the car."

"No." Luke looked solemn. "I'm going with you. I don't care what happens."

"Fine. Heed this warning – you will regret it for the rest of your life." Jai approached a man-hole. "Here we are."

"Yes. This is it. The manhole I got dug for the entrance to the subterranean cavern," Bronev said. "It is here."

Jai got the sword out of her pocket. She knelt down beside the man-hole and slotted the sword in the side. She tilted the sword and opened up the man-hole. She lifted it up with her hands and pushed it over, revealing the dark inside of the man-hole. There was a ladder leading down into the earth. Jai began to climb down into the earth. The professor followed. Luke also followed before either of his parents could say anything. Everyone else climbed down, one after another, into the earth, following Jai into the cavern to the Grounds of Rebirth.

But, despite Jai's warnings, not a single one of them really expected what was to come.


	58. 255024

Chapter 57 – 255024

They all walked down the dimly lit corridor in the cavern which would lead them to the Grounds of Rebirth. They all seemed tense as they walked down the corridor. Emmy and Bronev stood close to one another, dreading the worst. Flora and Luke were holding hands. Cark had his arms wrapped protectively around his wife and was keeping a very close eye on his son. _**"We should have locked him in the car,"**_ he thought furiously.

They walked on and on, further and further away from the man-hole. The professor was certain that if they ran into any trouble, there would be no escape. He looked over at Emmy, who looked extremely nervous. He then glanced at Vaughan, who was staring at Emmy. He found himself mentally comparing the two; everything about them was similar, from their hair and eye colour to the shape of their faces. They had the same nose, the same eyes... apart from slight differences in the shape of Emmy's jaw, they looked extremely alike.

The professor wondered what Vaughan was thinking as he stared at his daughter. He wondered how he felt about the possibility of seeing his wife and son again. This led him to think about how Emmy was feeling. The professor sighed. _**"She must be terrified," **_he thought. He watched as Bronev's arm came around her shoulders.

Finally, they reached a tall gate, where there were eight men dressed in black clothing. They stood in two groups, one of six and one of two, and each group carried one coffin each. One full-sized coffin held the body of Paloma Chovanek, and the tiny two and a half foot long white coffin held the body of Paloma's son, Daniel. Bronev held Emmy tighter as she stared at the tiny white coffin, her eyes slowly filling up with tears. Vaughan stepped forward and placed his hand on the large oak coffin. Emmy tensed up in Bronev's arms, watching.

Vaughan turned around to face Jai, who stood at the head of the group, observing his actions. "We need the artefacts. Now. Solve the puzzle and get us through the door."

"It is not my place to solve this puzzle," Jai replied. "Only the person who wants the grounds to be used can solve the puzzle."

"Then you do it, Layton," Vaughn said, turning to the professor.

"Well... I..." the professor trailed off, looking at Jai.

"It matters not who does it. You will all meet your end either way. Whatever happens, you will learn the truth about the grounds."

"Er... alright. Hand me the artefacts." The professor approached Desmond and took his artefact, and Bronev to take his artefact and Vaughan to take his artefact. With all four artefacts in hand, he approached the gate.

The gate was covered in inscriptions. And they did not look Azran. The professor turned to Jai.

"What can I do? I cannot read this."

Jai looked at the inscriptions and turned back to the professor. "Do you see the mechanism on that wall?" she pointed.

The professor looked over and saw what she was talking about. There were chains in the wall, which, to the professor, looked like they were meant to be used to tie up people. Four people.

"You don't really mean—"

"Yes. You must tie up four people to activate the puzzle."

"And what happens after you activate it?" Luke asked.

"You solve it."

"Well, yes, but I mean—"

"You will see after you tie up the people," Jai insisted.

The professor turned to the others. Everyone else took a step backwards. Vaughan turned to the people holding the coffins.

"Sorry, don't look at us, we're just the hired help," one of them shrugged.

"Well, we need four people to open this gate," Vaughan said through gritted teeth.

"Well, why don't you?" Jai said. "It's only your life on the line. We can always bring you back using the Grounds of Rebirth."

"I thought it didn't work?" he asked.

"Well, if not doesn't work, then why don't we all go home and forget everything we've seen here?" Jai smiled.

Vaughan said nothing. He turned to the chains and stepped towards them. He began to chain himself up.

"That's one," Jai said. "We need three more."

"Er... I'll do it," Desmond said.

"If you go, I'll go too, master," Raymond said.

"No, Raymond, this is my mess. Not yours. I shall do this alone."

"You are my friend, master. I shall go wherever you shall go." Raymond approached the chains and began to chain himself up too. Desmond sighed and chained himself.

"One more person is needed to do this," Jai said, folding her arms.

"... Me," Bronev said. He made to approach the chains, but Emmy held him back.

"No," she snarled.

"But –" Bronev began.

"You've already betrayed me. I won't let you walk out on me as well." Emmy gave him a meaningful look.

"I shall go."

Everyone turned around to face Celeste. She walked on to the chains and tied herself up.

"Celeste, no—" Bronev began.

"This has to end, and I haven't got all day," she snapped, putting the last chain in place.

Vaughan, Desmond, Raymond and Celeste all stood, chained to the wall, waiting for what was to come next. Jai stepped forward and grabbed onto a large lever in front of the wall opposite them. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes," the all said in unison.

"Very well." Jai pulled the lever.

The chains pulled the four of them tighter against the wall until they were unable to move. The wall them began to rise up, higher and higher, revealing another wall in behind it. This wall had four slots, one for each artefact, and an inscription written in the same language as the first. Jai began to read it quickly.

"_As you have made the sacrifice of four lives here, it is evident that you are willing to sacrifice everything for the use of these here grounds," _she read._ "The puzzle here is simple. You must put the correct artefacts in the correct hole, and you must put the correct side in the hole. But here is where it gets difficult. Every time you enter a wrong answer, one of your sacrifices will be eliminated. After all four chances have been taken, this entire cavern will detonate. Choose wisely before you submit your answer."_

"This is madness..." Bronev exclaimed.

"Right," Jai said. "Let's begin. Remember, if you want to spare all four of them, you must get all the answers right first time." Jai looked at the professor. "You may begin."

"What? Wait! What's the clue?!" Luke cried.

"It's right there, on the gate," Jai replied, pointing at the gate.

There was an unusual symbol on the gate, one which the professor had never seen before.

"Can you me what this symbol means?" the professor asked.

"Function," Jai replied.

"Very well." The professor began to think. _**"Function... hmm..."**_ what on earth did the word function have to do with the Grounds of Rebirth?

Luke sighed. "Well, there has to be about a million combinations..."

"Two hundred and fifty five thousand and twenty four, to be exact," Jai replied.

Emmy scowled at her. "You're really not helping here."

The professor thought hard. He looked again at the four slots and saw that the function symbol was engraved between the first and second slots, and again between the third and fourth slots. He remembered the meanings of the symbols on the other artefacts... prevent, beware, rebirth... but he didn't know the meaning of the last artefact. He turned to Aurora and beckoned her over. He handed the fire artefacts to her and asked, "What do the symbols on this artefact mean?" he asked her.

Aurora looked at each side carefully. "The grounds. And this side also had a strange part to it, and I do not recognise it. Jai?"

Jai came over. "Yes?"

"What does that part of the symbol mean?" the professor asked.

"It is most commonly used as a break in the middle of the sentence, like the comma or the semicolon," Jai replied. She smiled as a look or realisation appeared on the professor's face.

"I think I have it," the professor said. Everyone turned to look at him.

"What is it, Layton?" Bronev asked.

"Tell me, Luke, what is meaning of the word function?" the professor asked.

"Well, function means... the use of, right?" Luke asked.

"Exactly. You see over there, in between the first and second slots, and the third and fourth slots, there is the function symbol? Well, I think that we are supposed to complete the sentence here, with the artefact symbols."

"Beware, rebirth, prevent, and..."

"The grounds. Yes, exactly. And I think they are all used in the present tense, so all we need is to figure out the word order and we're finished," the professor smiled.

"So, what order do they go in then?" Bronev asked.

"Well, the grounds has some sort of a mid-sentence rest in its symbol, so that goes in the second slot," the professor said. "And if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that beware goes in the first slot, prevent goes in the third slot and rebirth goes in the fourth slot."

"Right," Luke said, smiling. "Let's do this."

He and the professor approached the slots and put the fire artefact in the second slot on the correct side. Nothing happened.

"Heed this," Jai warned. "This means that there is no turning back. Events beyond anyone's control are already in motion now."

"right." Luke put the air artefact in the first slot. Still nothing happened. Luke punched the air triumphantly.

The professor put the water artefact in the third slot and still nothing happened. Bronev smiled at this.

"Looks like your theory was spot-on, Layton," he grinned.

Luke took the last artefact and put it in the fourth slot. A door opened up in the wall and a panel with four switched came out.

"What does that do, Jai?" Brenda asked.

Jai said nothing.

"Jai?" the professor asked.

"That... that's wrong."

"What?" Luke asked. He gasped. "But ... but it can't be..."

Jai nodded. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. But, I am afraid you will have to choose between them. Choose one person to die – Celeste, Desmond, Raymond or Aleksander."


	59. The Burial

Chapter 58 – Burial

Everyone stared up at the four, matching expressions of fear had etched on their faces. Celeste shook her head.

"I..." she was at a complete loss for words.

"Not Celeste," Bronev said firmly. "She's done so much for the resistance; she doesn't deserve to die, not like this..."

"I agree," Emmy said, gripping onto Bronev's hand.

"That rules one out," Jai said sadly. "You need to decide between the other three..."

"This is madness!" Luke shouted. "You can't really expect us to sacrifice one of our own for the use of a garden that doesn't even work! This is all Vaughan's fault!"

"Please, Jai, I implore you, there has to be a way out of this that doesn't involve killing someone," the professor said, looking into her eyes. But all he could see was pity.

"I am sorry. You must choose."

"I say we choose Vaughan," Bronev said.

"Of course you would," Vaughan snarled. "All you want to do is to steal my little girl away from me." He looked pleadingly down into Emmy's eyes. "Please. Emmeline. Don't let them kill me. I'm your father. The only real family you have left. I am the one who brought you into this world, and I am the one who can get everything back for you; your mother and Daniel. Family is all that matters in this life, and I am the only one who can give that to you again. But only if you let me. Tell them not to kill me, please."

Emmy stared back at him, her eyes filling with tears once more. She looked at her uncle, who stared back. She shook er head.

"He's my father. I... I can't just let him die like that..." she trailed off.

"Then that just leaves Raymond and Desmond." Jai looked up at them.

"No. Vaughan will die. He is the one responsible for this—"

"Emmeline said no." Vaughan smiled.

"I don't want anyone to die." Emmy was crying now.

"There! That means that she doesn't want me to die either!"

"This isn't all about Emmeline, you know. I say we kill you, free the others and leave tour body to rot, you swine," Bronev spat.

"Kill me."

Everyone looked up in shock.

"Kill me and open the door. Try to get it right this time."

"No, master. Get them to take me instead." Raymond looked imploringly at his master.

Desmond smiled at Raymond. "Oh, Raymond. You have done so much for me over the years, but I have never taken the chance to repay you for your loyalty. And I will do that now." Desmond looked down on the others. "Kill me and move on through the gate. There's no other way around this. Please."

"No."

Everyone turned to face Bronev. He was staring at Desmond with a defiant expression on his face. "I won't let you die. Not my son."

"Pull the lever," Desmond said firmly.

"No," Bronev said. "I forbid you."

"Do it." Desmond's voice was calm. "Do it and free yourselves."

Jai stepped forward and placed a hand on the Desmond's switch. "Are you certain?"

"No!"

"Yes." Desmond nodded.

"Your sacrifice will be rewarded. That I am certain of." Jai pulled the switch.

"NOOO!"

An arrow was fired from the other side of the chamber and hit Desmond directly in the heart. He choked as blood began to stream out of his chest. He didn't even try to speak. He just choked.

Clark grabbed Luke and buried his son's face in his chest. Brenda tried to cover Flora's face. Bronev dropped to his knees and broke down.

"NOOO! MY BOY!" he screamed, gripping his hair.

Desmond's head dropped down as he leaned forward, only his chains keeping him up on the wall.

"NOOO!"

Emmy knelt beside her uncle and rapped her arms around him, tears pouring down her cheeks. She stroked his hair as he cried into her shoulder. He gripped onto her tightly, shaking.

The professor stared up at Desmond's lifeless form, tears starting in his own eyes. _**"that's my brother..."**_ he breathed out deeply and looked at Vaughan. Vaughan's face was expressionless. He nodded down to the professor.

"Open the gate," he said. "End this now."

The professor looked around to everyone else. He saw that nearly all of them were crying, or at least looked damaged from what they had just seen. Only Vaughan seemed expressionless.

"I... I don't know what I did wrong there..." the professor wiped his eyes and looked closer at the artefacts in the slots. He removed the first and the third artefacts and swapped their positions. He stood back and waited. He heard the gate begin to unlock and turned back to Bronev. He was still on the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around Emmy's waist and sobbing into her shoulder. Emmy was crying herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her uncle. The professor turned to look at his daughter. Flora was sobbing weakly into Brenda's shoulder. Brenda gripped her shoulders tightly, fighting tears. Luke bawled into his father's chest, while Clark looked back at the professor. He glanced at the now-open gate and looked back at the professor. The professor nodded at Clark.

Celeste, Raymond and Vaughan, who had been released from their chains, climbed down the ladder from the wall above and joined the others.

The professor turned back to the others and beckoned for them to follow him. The professor entered the grounds with the others in tow in silence.

Open shallow graves circled the grounds from the centre outwards, but not a single body was buried. Several skeletons were scattered around the grounds, unburied, the flesh rotted off of them. Vaughan clapped his hands once, and his men picked up the coffins again and carried them into the grounds. Vaughn pointed to a place at the end of the outer circle of shallow graves. "Bury them there," he said.

"I warned you," Jai called from the back of the group. "I warned you, and now you'll pay for your ignorance."

Vaughan ignored her and his men lowered the coffins to the ground and procured their shovels from the straps on their backs. They began to dig.

Emmy watched as they dug, clinging to her uncle. She was dreading the outcome, whatever it was. She didn't know what was going to happen. _**"What if they come back... and what if they don't?"**_

Despite Jai's warnings, she still didn't know.

The professor stepped out in front of Emmy as the coffins ere opened up. Emmy didn't try to see past him; she had seen enough for one day. Or so she thought.

She didn't know what was about to happen.

Despite Jai's warnings, she still did not know.


	60. Rebirth

Chapter 59 – Rebirth

Everyone sat around the graves for hours as they waited for some sort of response. Vaughan's men were relieved of their duties after they had buried the bodies of Emmy's mother and brother and had left on the double. They did not want to see the affects of their latest deed.

As the all sat and stared at the grave, Jai sighed heavily. _**"Here we go again,"**_ she thought miserably. After all her warnings, her explanations, and they _**still**_ would not listen. Well. They would pay for their ignorance. Big time.

The children still cried for Desmond. The adults sat in silence, waiting for the return of the Chovanek family. But still there was nothing.

Bronev sat on the ground, his head in his hands. Emmy sat behind him and still had her arms wrapped around him. She couldn't bear the thought of looking at the graves, but still, she couldn't tear her eyes away for a second.

The professor stared at the graves also, thoughts running in and out of his head, a million a second. He wondered if they would all survive this, if anyone else would be snatched away from him, as his brother had been. He thought of Emmy and how he was coping. He thought of Bronev, losing his eldest son to Vaughan, the person who had snatched everything away from him in the first place.

It was only when a rock that lay over Paloma's grave twitched that Vaughan leaned forward hopefully. "Here she is," he whispered.

Emmy let go of her uncle and leaned forward also. Vaughan smiled at her and took her hand. Emmy was scared to have him touching her, and yet she didn't quite have the heart to shrug him off.

The rock was shoved out of the way as a hand emerged from under the surface. Luke buried his face into his father's shoulder once more and hid from the spectacle before him. Flora hid behind the professor. The hand reached upwards and emerged even more, an arm soon reaching out and another hand came to join the first. Paloma was breaking free from her grave.

From the other grave, a tiny little hand was breaking out. A tiny little baby hand. Emmy tried to get back, but Vaughan gripped her hand, preventing her from doing so. She was forced to watch in horror as her mother and brother came back to life.

The woman's head broke out of the ground. Her hands reached out for something to grab onto. Vaughan smiled and took his wife's hand and began to pull her out of the ground. When she was fully out, Vaughan took her waist and stroked her cheek. He spoke to her softly.

"Hello, sweetheart," he breathed. "Welcome back."

Paloma stared back at him and smiled. She looked down at her son, who had crawled out of his grave, which was shallower than hers, and was hugging her ankles.

The professor stared, shocked at this spectacle. He immediately began to study the woman before him. She looked like a photocopy of Emmy – with her wavy locks of hair running freely on her shoulders, her beautiful smile, her happy eyes... and yet something seemed off. Very off. There was a look in her eyes that didn't quite seem human. It looked like the look a dog had when it had a bone in its mouth. Or a tiger about to stalk its prey.

It made her smile, which at first seemed like Emmy's beautiful smile, seem so much more evil.

The professor looked at Daniel, and he wore a similar expression to his mother's. The boy stared at Emmy, as though he recognised her. He grinned.

"Emmy! Emmy, Emmy, Emmy!"

Emmy's eyes began to fill with tears, memories flooding back. "Daniel," she whispered.

"I want Emmy!" he began to crawl towards her.

It seemed like a touching moment, the reunion of brother and sister after so long spent apart. Or, it would have been, if Daniel hadn't had a knife tucked into the belt of his pants.

"No, Emmy! Emmy! Get back! Get away from him, Emmy!" the professor ran forward and grabbed Emmy, dragging her back. Emmy fought against him, trying to get closer to her little brother.

"What?! He's fine! Look at him, he's fine!"

"Don't be fooled Emmy! This is what Jai warned us about! Don't get too close! Everyone get back!" the professor roared.

Vaughan let go of his wife. "What are you on about, Layton?" he snapped, turning away from his wife.

She grabbed a rock from the floor and whacked him over the head with it. He fell to the floor with a 'thud'. He was knocked unconscious.

Emmy stopped fighting against the professor and watched as her mother took the knife out of her son's belt and made towards her father. Emmy began to scream.

"NOOO! DON'T HURT HIM! TAKE ME INSEAD! DON'T KILL HIM!"

Paloma turned to Emmy. She nodded. "That can be arranged," she said sweetly, and lunged at her daughter.

Emmy turned and ran for it, tears pouring down her face. Paloma pushed past the professor and ran screaming after her own daughter. "I will finish you and my people will return! MY PEOPLE WILL RETURN!"

"Emmy!" Luke screamed, staring after Emmy as she ran out the gates of the grounds and back down the corridor. "Gah!"

Everyone turned and, to their horror, Daniel had lunged at him and began to bite at his neck. Blood seeped down Luke's jacket as the baby attacked with all his might – trying to kill Luke.

Jai grabbed the baby by the scruff of his neck and threw him across the grounds. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket and placed it over Luke's wound.

"Luke!" Brenda screamed, running towards her son.

"I'm alright, mum, it's just a gash. I'll live," Luke panted, hugging his mother.

"OH MY GOD, HE'S COMING BACK!" Flora screamed, pointing. The baby was running back towards them, his teeth bared.

"Everyone get out of here!" Bronev bellowed. "I'll get Emmeline!"

Everyone ran out of the grounds after Emmy and Paloma. Jai stayed where she was. Daniel noticed this and lunged at her. Jai dived on top of the child, pinning his arms to his sides with one arm and covering his mouth with the other. The baby began to choke, unable to breathe, his face turning from pink, to red, to purple, to blue.

"I warned you," Jai breathed as the baby's form turned limp. "I warned all of you, and yet none of you listened. Is this not what I said would happen? And who is left to clean up this mess? Me. Jai. As usual." She looked on as Vaughan began to stir. He sat up, holding his head. He saw the body of his son, dead again. He cried.

"All I wanted was my family back," he sobbed. "I never wanted any of this..."

"I told you," Jai said simply. "This is your entire fault, nobody else's. And now you have to help me save your daughter, before she gets killed too."

"Right." Vaughan tried drowsily to get up, but fell over again.

Jai sighed. "You stay there until you stop feeling dizzy. I'll handle this. As usual." Jai got up and ran.

Vaughan placed his hands over his face. "What have I done?" he moaned.

* * *

Emmy ran further and further along the corridor, past the man-hole and down the corridor even further. And all the time, her mother wasn't far behind her.

Emmy couldn't possibly be upset through feeling so scared. All she could do was run as fast as she could, not stopping to think of her own mental anguish, or how tired she was getting. Her adrenaline rush took over her mind and told her one thing – to get the hell out of there as fast as she could.

She glanced back and saw that her mother was getting tired, and took this as an incentive to run faster and put a little more distance between them. She couldn't stop, not yet.

Emmy knew that, as her mother's body was lacking in nutrients, she would soon run out of steam and collapse, giving Emmy some crucial running-away time, and that as soon as Jai came, she would know what to do with the beast that her mother had become. She then remembered Jai's story;

_My people were not the same people that had left. They were happy, despite their being plagued by the Hilden. They knew what happiness and freedom was, and they felt it. But not anymore._

_Their eyes turned white and they did not talk sense. They only spoke of destruction. They attacked me, their only friend in the world._

"_**They attacked her... that means that Mum will attack me..."**_ Emmy thought, terrified as she ran down the corridor.

"_**She's going to kill me."**_

* * *

The professor and co. ran down the corridor after Paloma, who they could see I he distance, hunting Emmy down, as though stalking her prey. They all ran as fast as they could, the professor in the lead, as they began to gain on Paloma. They could see Emmy far in the distance, running as fast as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and her mother as she could. But the Professor could see that Emmy was slowly running out of steam. Just as he was. He watched as she began to fall to the ground, exhausted. Paloma grinned and drew the knife out from her pocket. Paloma ran to the collapsed Emmy and began to draw the knife across her throat.

"NOO! EMMY! NOOOO!"


	61. Death

Chapter 60 – Death

Emmy was confused. She could not feel anything. One minute, she was running for her life, then she had collapsed, exhausted from the chase, then she felt a painful slit across her throat and now this strange nothingness. Emmy didn't know what was going on.

"Emmy! I'm so glad that I'm not all alone in this place!"

Emmy turned around to see Desmond smiling at her. Now she was even more confused.

"Desmond? Oh, god, Desmond!" Emmy cried, running over to hug him. "I thought you were dead!" she stopped. "Wait... am... am I dead?"

"Ah... I'm sorry, Emmy... but you can't really expect to get slit across the throat with a filthy knife and expect to live, you know."

"What? No! I can't die! Not now! I'm at the prime of my life! The top of my game! I'm too young to die!"

"Me too, but you don't hear me complaining," Desmond scoffed. "You're dead, Emmy. Live with it. Or, should I say... die with it."

"Ha ha, not funny, Desmond," Emmy scoffed, sighing. What was she supposed to do now? She was dead, stuck in some kind of purgatory until her fate was decided by Jai when she got back from rekilling her family. She had no one to keep her company, apart from Desmond with his pathetic death jokes. And Hershel...

This would be the second dead girlfriend he would have lost now. First Claire and now Emmy...

Emmy sighed. "Oh, Hershel..."

* * *

Jai felt something strange, as though something was missing. Emmy. She had been killed, she could sense it. But she had not moved on yet. She could still be saved...as could Desmond...

Jai left her physical body and Sinead fell to the ground, gasping.

"Where the fuck are you going?"

* * *

The professor and Bronev ran towards Emmy and Paloma. Paloma was still slicing away at Emmy's throat and chest when they arrived. It was too late. Emmy was already dead.

Bronev dragged Paloma off of Emmy and pinned her to the ground. "We have to kill her! Now!" he roared. Bronev wrestled the knife off of Paloma, who hissed in protest. Bronev slitted her throat twice and she clutched her throat, blood spilling everywhere. She began to die slowly.

The professor was stroking Emmy's hair and praying softly to her. He couldn't believe what was happening. He wouldn't. _**"I won't lose you, Emmy... please... please come back to me..."**_

Bronev kneeled next to her in a state of shock. "No... No, it can't be..." he whispered.

The others watched from a distance, too shocked to react. Emmy... she was invincible... unkillable... she couldn't be gone. She simply couldn't be killed that easily.

Everyone watched Emmy lying on the ground, lifeless. They all began to cry and pray for her.

Except for Luke. "You'll be back, Emmy," he said. "We won't be rid of you that easily."

* * *

Emmy and Desmond sat in silence, both reflecting on how they had died. Desmond turned to Emmy, smiling.

"My death was more heroic than yours."

Emmy glared at him. "Oh yeah? Well, my death was... bloodier than yours."

"Lovely."

"All is not lost."

They turned to see Jai. She smiled.

"My intuition was correct. You have not moved on."

"I was given the option, but I declined. I wanted to keep you company when you got back," Desmond smiled.

Jai smiled back. "A lovely sentiment, I'm sure, but I'm afraid neither of you will be stopping here for long."

"What do you mean?" Emmy asked.

"You will be reborn. But you must do exactly as I say."

"What do you mean reborn? I thought rebirth was impossible?" Desmond asked.

"It is if the soul has already moved on, like Paloma and Daniel's have," Jai explained. "But you and Emmy haven't moved on yet. This gives you a chance to go back. But only if you can fight off the darkness souls that will want to take over your body. Like Aurora had to do when she came back. Her powers allowed her to recover her bodily function, but she still had to fight for it. And now, you have to. But on one condition; your bodies have to be buried in the Grounds of Rebirth."

Emmy and Desmond froze. "WHAT?!"

* * *

Sinead got up, furious. "I hope that's the last I'll see of her," she said to herself.

"_**Not likely,"**_ Jai replied in her head.

Sinead groaned. "What do you want now?!"

"_**Tell Layton and the others to bury the bodies of Desmond and Emmy in the Grounds of Rebirth."**_

Sinead frowned. "Desmond and Emmy are dead?"

"_**Just do it!"**_

"Alright! Jesus!"

Sinead ran down the corridor, hoping that she would run into them eventually. "The things I have to..."

* * *

The professor removed his jacket and placed it over Emmy's face and neck, covering her wounds. Tears fell down his cheeks as he prepared to say goodbye to her. To Emmy. His Emmy. The girl he had hugged and kissed only his morning. The girl who had poured her heart out to him the previous evening. The girl he had bathed last night and had slept beside him in his arms, seeking his comfort and love... gone. All gone.

The professor began to weep for her, just as he had for Claire. He didn't know how he could go on without Emmy in the world. He had lost two lovers now, and he knew that they would move on and he would never see or hold either of them again.

Bronev placed his arm around the professor's shoulders, crying himself, and the two of the mourned the loss of the woman they had both loved so dearly.

Memories of Emmy flashed before Bronev's eyes.

The day he had picked her up off of the floor after she had been beaten up by her father. _"It's alright now dear," he whispered." You're safe now. I've got you. I'm here. Uncle Leon is here..." _The first birthday Emmy had celebrated with him. _Bronev covered Emmeline's eyes and smiled at the camera he had bought for her. __**"She'll love it,"**__ he thought happily. "Alright." He took his hands away. Emmeline saw the camera and turned around to give her uncle a big hug. "I love it! I love it Uncle Leon! Thank you! Thank you so much!" she kissed him on the cheek. _He remembered every night he had spent beside Emmy, stroking her hair and protecting her from her night terrors. He remembered every morning that Emmy would come in with breakfast made for him and his morning paper. He remembered on Emmy's eighteenth birthday when he had bought her first car to celebrate her passing her driver's test. He remembered how she had crashed it into the river a week later. He remembered buying her the scooter and how she promised to be more careful on the road. He remembered how much she used to smile, despite everything she had been through. And he realised how she would never be able to smile at him again. He wept.

The professor was in the same state as Bronev. He remembered the first time he had ever met Emmy; he remembered her almost crashing into him just to get his attention, _"Nice to see you again, Professor Layton." _He remembered how she had overslept on the first night they spent in Misthallery hotel; _"I'm not losing any sleep to a spectre of dubious origin!"_ He remembered the first time he had ever seen Emmy fight; _"Whenever you need a little muscle, you just let me know, Professor, and I'll be there!" _He remembered her enthusiasm at work and how she was always happy and never appeared to have a bad day. He remembered how she would sing along to the radio in the kitchen as she made cakes for the staff at lunch. He remembered how she sat in his room at the camel's hump hotel and listened to him as he recalled the trauma of losing Randall. He remembered how much she screamed when Luke showed her a little spider he had found behind the couch in the office and how she had jumped up into his arms and refused to get down until Luke had disposed of the spider. He remembered the first time she had kissed him, in that tea shop, and how she had asked him out to dinner soon after. He remembered that first date, _"Thank you. For coming out with me. For being nice to me. For being my boyfriend."_ He remembered how, every time he ever got close to Emmy, his heart would start to flutter and he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her. He couldn't think about how Emmy was now gone. He could only think of the wonderful, beautiful person she was, and the wonderful, beautiful person he had fallen in love with.

"I have a message here from Jai."

Everyone turned around to face Sinead.

"She said to bury Emmy and Desmond so that she can bring them back. And she said to do it now."


	62. Fight

Chapter 61 – Fight

"Alright. Help me."

The professor and Bronev picked up Emmy's lifeless body. They all began to walk back to the Grounds of Rebirth once more. Luke shivered, remembering what lay back there. "Um... does anyone know if the baby is still alive?"

"If it is, I don't think Vaughan is," Flora whispered, wiping her eyes.

Luke shuddered violently as they walked on. _**"I want to go home,"**_ he thought miserably.

* * *

Vaughan cradled his son in his arms. "My boy... my poor baby boy... what have I done to you?" he sobbed. "All I wanted was to get you back, and this is what I get? I'm so sorry, baby..."

He suddenly felt something strange happening inside him. Something strange. He suddenly felt dizzy...

"_**Emmeline is dead."**_

He stopped. "Emmeline..."

"_**Yes. Your daughter. In her willingness to resurrect darkness souls, Paloma killed her."**_

"No... God no..."

"_**Yes."**_

Vaughan broke down. This was the limit. "WHYYY! WHY! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS! WHYWOULD YOU TAKE HER FROM ME! GOD DAMN IT, ANSWER ME! WHYYYYY!"

"_**But all is not lost, my good man."**_

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO NOW?! THE GROUNDS OF REBIRTH DON'T EVEN WORK, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

"_**The grounds only work for souls who have not moved on to the spirit world. Paloma and Daniel already have, but Emmeline has not. She knows the plan. She is willing to fight the darkness souls to reclaim her life. But she cannot hold out for too long. She is on her way now, the body I mean. Dig two holes in the earth – one for her and one for Desmond Sycamore. And do it now." **_

Vaughan gulped. "No. Not again. I won't have my little girl turned into a monster like her poor little brother was..."

"If that is so, then you will never have a little girl at all. She is lost to the spirit world. I am sorry that you do not trust me."

Vaughan held his little boy tighter and swallowed. _**"Should I... or shouldn't I trust this person?"**_

* * *

Emmy screamed. The agony of it all was just too much. They were all around her. Darkness souls everywhere, feeding on her happiness and only leaving her with sorrow. Every bad thing that had happened to her now came flooding back. Th bad memories were all she had left. She didn't know who she was anymore. All she could do was scream.

She could hear Jai's voice, somewhat distant in this world, telling her firmly to get a grip. Telling her to fight it and think of what she had. Telling her that none of it was real and it would all be over soon if she just kept fighting it.

But Emmy was losing it. She was getting closer, but now she was losing her grip. She felt something close in on the darkness souls and presuming it to be another soul, screamed harder.

She could hear Desmond's screams in the distance, him going through the same thing s her. The same pain. The same torture. Emmy wanted to sleep, forever. She wanted to die.

* * *

The professor and Bronev entered the gat of the Grounds of Rebirth and approached Vaughan with Emmy still in their arms. Vaughan had already dug the holes and was waiting to finish the job. Tears still in his eyes, he looked up to the sky. _**"This had better work, Jai, or not even the spirit-material world will be able to hide you from me,"**_ he thought viciously.

The professor and Bronev lowered Emmy gently into the hole. The professor took deep breaths as Vaughan began to cover Emmy's body over with rocks and dirt. Emmy's lifeless form began to disappear from view as Vaughan, aided now by Bronev, buried Emmy Altava.

Raymond dragged Desmond's body into the grounds, panting and gasping heavily, tears still falling down his cheeks. Bronev quickly ran over to help, and together they dragged the dead body of Desmond Sycamore, or Jean Descole, or Hershel Bronev, to his grave and covered him over too.

And now, all they had to do was wait.

* * *

A shining glimmer of hope. Emmy smiled to herself through all the pain, and found that it was slowly fading. The form that had just closed in – it wasn't any old darkness soul. It was Jai.

Jai was coming to save her.

And just in the nick of time.

"Keep fighting it, Emmy," she said firmly. "Keep going. You're nearly there... they've already buried you. You just have to keep fighting. You're stronger than them. All of them. You just... have... to keep... fighting..."

Jai's voice seemed to fade away after that moment. Emmy felt as though she was growing more and more distant from Jai with every second. She was in agony as she fell, her neck and chest in roaring pain as she fell, burning, twisting, agonising pain...

Time. She had no idea how long she had been falling, but it felt like an eternity. She had been falling for what felt like years.

Until it all stopped.

"_**I'm dead now, I know I am,"**_ Emmy thought frantically. _**"I'm dead."**_

She kept thinking like this until she realised something. Something she had overlooked.

She could feel dirt and rocks on her face and the rest of her body too.

She could _**feel.**_

Dead people couldn't feel. She was alive, she had to be.

Emmy was alive.

Emmy was back.


	63. Back Again

Chapter 62 – Back Again

Emmy was alive.

Emmy was back.

And she couldn't breathe.

She scrambled around under the earth, gasping for air and trying to find a gap so she could breathe. She tried to push the rocks and dirt off of her. She was terrified. _**"I'm buried alive!"**_

* * *

The professor sat beside the grave, with Bronev right beside him, sitting in between the two graves and Flora on his lap. He hoped, beyond anything that he had ever hoped for before, that Emmy would come back the way she was. And he knew that there was a strong chance that she wouldn't. The professor leaned his head against Flora's and shut his eyes tight, trying not to cry again. He felt Flora tighten her grip on him as everyone else began to stir. He opened his eyes and turned to follow Flora's gaze.

"Look here, Layton," Bronev breathed, pointing.

The rocks were twitching gently above Desmond's grave. The professor and co. watched as they began to move even more, from twitching to shivering to shaking, and eventually they began to be pushed away. Bronev and Raymond stood up and began to pick up the rocks and throw them off of Desmond's grave. Bronev then went down on all fours and began to dig the dirt off with his bare hands. Vaughan quickly picked up his shovel and began to help. After a minute or two, Desmond was clearly visible, panting, still in pain from his arrow injury. Raymond held a hand out to his master. Desmond gave him a pained smile and took it. Raymond pulled him to his feet, smiling.

"Welcome back, master."

Everyone grinned to see Desmond alive again. They all crowded around him and shook his hand, while he doubled over in pain.

"We need to get that injury looked at," Bronev said firmly, taking Desmond's arm and putting it around his neck. He began to lead him to the gate when he stopped.

The professor was busy digging Emmy out, but there was no movement on her part. The Professor rolled rocks away and shifted the dirt off of her until she was in plain view. The professor placed his head on her chest.

"Oh, god, no... Emmeline..." Bronev whispered.

The professor sat up and turned to the others. "She's unconscious, but she's definitely breathing and she's got a strong pulse. We need to get her to a hospital to get her wounds looked at." The Professor sat Emmy up and lifted her up into his arms. Vaughan stepped forward.

"Please, Layton. Let me help you."

"No." Luke stepped out in front of the professor. "You've done enough."

The professor carried Emmy out of the grounds after Bronev, Raymond and Desmond. Th others left after them and Vaughan was left, standing alone in the Grounds of Rebirth. A few minutes after they had left, Vaughan knelt beside the body of his son and stroked his hair. He picked him up and laid him back in his coffin. He sighed.

* * *

The professor and the others were standing at the man-hole, waiting for ambulances that had been called for Emmy and Desmond. Emmy was still out cold in the professor's arms. Desmond was still leaning on Raymond and Bronev for support. Brenda was hugging Luke and Flora again. Clark looked on behind them, watching for any sign of Vaughan following them.

"So... are we just going to leave him here?" Flora asked.

"I don't know," the professor replied. "It depends on how Emmy feels when she wakes up."

And, as if on cue, he felt her stir in his arms. He saw her eyes flutter open and his heart missed a beat. "Emmy..." he breathed.

"Hershel..." she moaned.

The professor beamed at her. He looked into her eyes, but it pained him to see how hurt she was. He kissed her on the cheek. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

"Hurts..." she croaked. She looked a mess. Her neck and chest were still severed from the attack, but the wounds appeared to have healed some since her entering the grounds. _**"How interesting..."**_ the professor thought.

"Where... where's dad" she asked. "Why isn't he with us? He... he's hurt..."

"Don't worry," the professor soothed, holding her tighter in his arms. "He'll be fine."

"But ... he's all alone... with... with Daniel... we need to... to get him..."

"I'll go back for him once you're in the ambulance," the professor assured her. "I promise."

* * *

With the others gone, whether it was in an ambulance or in their car, the professor walked back down the corridor and towards the grounds or rebirth, one last time. He looked for Vaughan in the gates, but he was not visible. All he could see was the closed coffin of the little boy. Emmy's little brother.

"_**He must have been here..."**_ the professor thought. _**" No one else did that..."**_

He heard footsteps approaching and turned around. Vaughan was coming back, with his wife's body in his arms. He carried her back, past Layton without a second glance, and laid her down in her coffin. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it carefully around her neck, hiding her gashes from view. He smoothed out her dress and stroked her hair. He then carefully closed the lid of the coffin. He began to speak.

"This is it..." Vaughan said to himself. "This is the end. My plan... ruined. Emmeline... gone... I have nothing. I got nothing out of any of this... no wife... no son... no Emmeline..."

"That's not true," the professor said.

Vaughan turned around and looked at him.

"Emmy is safe now. She has come round and is going to hospital. The Grounds of Rebirth did a lot more than you think they did, Aleks. Not only did they save the lives of two innocent people, but they taught us lessons in life that we will never forget."

"All I have learned is that I can never have my family back," Vaughan sobbed.

"You may not be able to have Paloma and Daniel back, but you still have Emmy."

"She won't even look at me."

"Give her time. She needs to recover first, but I'm sure that, given a little time and space, Emmy will learn to forgive you for all that you've done, and learn to see it from your perspective."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that this is not all your fault, Aleks," the professor said. "I know that you are only the victim of something that everyone has to face someday; death. And I don't blame you for wanting to evade it. But, it is inevitable that we will all lose the ones we love some day, whether they die before us, or we die first. But now we know that only in the most extreme circumstances can we bring back the dead, and that was so with Emmy. You were lucky not to lose another child today, Aleks."

"Yes... yes I was." Vaughan wiped his eyes and looked up at the professor. "Everything I've done... to you and your friends... and to Emmeline... I'm sorry. I am sorry. And I will atone for everything I have done. I will try to put things right. But I need you to promise me something, Layton."

"Yes?"

"I need you to try to get Emmeline to visit me in prison, when she's better. I need to explain everything..."

"I... I will try."

"Thank you." Vaughan turned to the coffins. "I need to rebury these. I need them to rest... finally. I wonder... would Emmeline come to say one last goodbye to her mother and brother?"

The professor smiled. "I don't think even death could keep her away."


	64. Epilogue - Winding Down

Epilogue – Winding Down

And that was when the world learned of the existence of the Grounds of Rebirth. And when the resistance was over. Everyone who lended a hand in helping to track Vaughan down, or gave archaeological advise on the origins of the artefacts, or guarded the people of Midleton in their time of peril was paid well and sent on their way. But there were seven people who were honoured for what they had done for the resistance. Leon Bronev, Celeste Folley, Professor Desmond Sycamore, Emmeline Altava and Professor Hershel Layton, with his trusty apprentice Luke Triton on one side and his daughter Flora Reinhold on the other.

After they had gotten out of the cavern where the Grounds of Rebirth resided, Bronev and Vaughan were arrested by Grosky and a bunch of other Irish police officers.

After standing up in court and both pleading their sides, it was decided that Vaughan was to blame for everything that had happened, as he was the one who had set up an illegal organisation for uncovering ancient artefacts and civilisations through the use of extremely unorthodox methods. Vaughan was sentenced to life in prison for that part, but as for his abuse on his daughter, he was diagnosed with a form of psychosis that would cause him to have violent outbursts, so he got off without charge for that.

Bronev had also been diagnosed at the time of Paloma and Daniel's murder with a form of psychosis and he got treatment, so he got off free of charge, and because of the deal he had made several months back about capturing Vaughan, he got away with what he had done in Targent, and was free from prison completely.

The founding f the Grounds of Rebirth made international news and Professor's Hershel Layton and Desmond sycamore, along with Leon Bronev became the most famous archaeologists in the world. Somehow, without Emmy's knowledge, Emmy's life story made the news and the papers and Emmy became one of the most famous victims of repeated abuse in the country and was the centre of media attention of months. Strangely enough, Stacey had not been seen since.

Andrea got a lengthy sentence for her plot with the Grounds of Rebirth and all the 'collateral damage' she caused.

Clive was set free from prison for his seemingly complicated efforts to help the resistance and was now free to live his life in peace, the way he wanted to.

The bodies of Paloma and Daniel Chovanek were taken away for months on end for several forensic tests to see exactly how they came back to life. Emmy and Desmond had also undergone several examinations, and the two were now famous worldwide for having cheated death.

Jai went back to where she came from, looking forward to the day that she would meet the Professor and his friends again, but only after they had lived long and fruitful lives. Sinead returned to her family and her normal life, and couldn't be happier.

Eventually, Paloma and Daniel's bodies were released for reburial, and Emmy attended the funeral along with her remaining family, and of course the professor and Bronev. It is difficult to describe the intensity of her feelings that day, as she cried endlessly through the whole service into the professor's shoulder.

A year after the happenings in the Grounds of Rebirth, everyone had fully recovered from their ordeal in the Grounds of Rebirth. Luke and Sinead were in Ireland. Flora, Emmy, the professor and Bronev were back in London. Carla and the boys were in London, and Carla, who had forgiven Antonio for his supposed betrayal, decided to renew their wedding vows. Everyone was back in their normal routine.

Well, almost.

* * *

Vaughan sat in his cell, on the bed, sighing. A year to this day and Emmeline still had not visited him. She was all he had left to think about. He wanted to look at his little girl again and apologise for everything he had done to her.

Anyway, he doubted very much that the officers would even let him see her if she came. The last time he saw her, she was crying her eyes out in Layton's shoulder, not even looking at him. Vaughan sighed again. It was hopeless.

A prison officer stuck his head in the door. "A visitor for you, Chovanek," he called.

Vaughan smiled. _**"There's hope yet,"**_ he thought, smiling widely and getting up.

"_**I love you, Emmeline Chovanek, my little girl."**_


End file.
